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De Lackner HZ-1 Aerocycle (1955)

The Sukhoi Su-24 is a supersonic, all-weather attack aircraft developed in the Soviet Union.

Courtesy: © U.S. Army Transportation Museum, Public domain, Pocket-lint, Wikimedia 03.12.17

Personal flight hasn't always been about jetpacks. Over the years, there have been plenty of different designs with varying technologies all intended to help man to take to the skies. Though these forms of transport might have their origins in science fiction, science fact is also pretty interesting.

In 1954, the HZ-1 Aerocycle was created for the US Army as a one-man "personal helicopter" that was intended to be easily flown by infantrymen as an aerial reconnaissance vehicle. Unsurprisingly though, it never made it to the battlefield as a number of crashes caused the project to be abandoned. We're not surprised as it looks pretty dangerous.

The design was pretty interesting though. Flight was intended to last for up to 40 minutes after just 20 minutes training on how to fly the vehicle. The HZ-1 Aerocycle could reach speeds of 75 mph with a 15-mile range and a flight ceiling of 5,000 feet.

Lackner Helicopters in the mid-1950s. Intended to be operated by inexperienced pilots with a minimum of 20 minutes of instruction, the HZ-1 was expected to become a standard reconnaissance machine with the United States Army. Although early testing showed that the craft had promise for providing mobility on the atomic battlefield, more extensive evaluation proved that the aircraft was in fact too difficult to control for operation by untrained infantrymen, and after a pair of crashes the project was abandoned. A single model of the craft was put on display.

Role: Experimental rotorcraft
National origin: United States
Manufacturer: de Lackner Helicopters
Designer: Lewis C. McCarty Jr.
First flight: 22 November 1954
Primary user: United States Army
Number built: 12

Captain Sunby testflies the HZ1

A HZ-1 following a crash

General characteristics
Crew: 1 (pilot)
Height: 7 ft (2.1 m) from air bags to handle bars
Empty weight: 172 lb (78 kg)
Gross weight: 454 lb (206 kg)
Fuel capacity: 1 US gallon (3.8 l; 0.83 imp gal)
Powerplant: 1 × Mercury Marine 20H outboard motor, 40 hp (30 kW)
Main rotor diameter: 2× 15 ft (4.6 m)

Performance
Maximum speed: 75 mph (121 km/h; 65 kn)
Cruise speed: 55 mph (89 km/h; 48 kn)
Range: 15 mi (13 nmi; 24 km)
Endurance: 45 minutes
Service ceiling: 5,000 ft (1,500 m)

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