NOTE: RADIO CONTROL HELICOPTERS ARE ON THE BOTTOM HALF OF THE PAGE.
In fourth century China, children played with a toy whose principle would be used hundreds of years later to bring a new dimension to the science of flight. It was a simple round stick with feathers mounted on top, with each feather twisted slightly so that it struck the air at an angle when the stick was spun.
The results was a device that had enough lift to fly up into the air.
On November 13, 1907, Paul Cornu, a French- man, made the first free, untethered, manned helicopter flight. It lasted about 30 seconds at a height of just about 12 inches off the ground.
Early pioneers of helicopter flight had to overcome a number of challenges before successful flight could be achieved. It wasn't until 1936 that the Germans produced the first fully controllable helicopter.
Today, helicopters are the most versatile vehicles to take to the sky. They are an indispensable tool of modern aviation. The GEN H-4 is one of the latest achievements in helicopter evolution.
With a rotor diameter of 13 feet 1 inch and an empty weight of 155 lbs., the GEN H-4 helicopter is recognized by the Guinness Book of Records as the world's smallest helicopter.
The GEN H-4 helicopter prototype, looking much as it appears today, was first shown to the public in 1997. Since that time a number of flights have been successfully completed.
GEN H-4 helicopter controls are relatively simple. Rotor speed will make the helicopter climb and descend. Moving the control stick will result in the helicopter flying in that direction.
The helicopter has four engines. Should one fail, the others are intended to provide sufficient control to land the helicopter safely.
Safety concerns have been raised regarding the helicopter's lack of auto rotation, under one hour endurance with five gallon fuel capacity, and lack of quick control responses due to fixed pitched rotor blades.
It appears that a total of seven of the helicopters were sold. The last entry on the GEN H-4 website is dated Dec. 4, 2006.
The rc nano helicopters and rc micro helicopters shown on this page are just a small sampling of all those available. Prices vary greatly from retailer to retailer, so comparison shopping can save you some money.
Pictured above is the Intelli Nano Heli for sale from Hobby Tron. It has a 3" diameter rotor and is 2.5" high. It may just be the world's smallest rc helicopter for sale.
The first picture below is the rc Black Hornet heli by Proxy Dynamics. Its rotor diameter is about 3.8". Weight is .7 oz including a camera. It is being offered for government applications and is not for sale to the public.
The second picture below is the rc Picoflyer from Interactive Toy Concepts. It has a 2.36" diameter rotor and weighs 3.3 grams. Its the world's smallest rc helicopter that we have seen. However, it is not for sale.
The third picture below is the micro Dragan Fly rc helicopter. It is 6 1/2" long, has a 5 1/4" rotor diameter, and weighs 10 grams.
Next below is the Falcon-X rc micro heli. It is 7" long, 3.7" high and has a rotor diameter of 7.4".
The bottom picture is of the rc micro helicopter from Bemay Toy Co., China. Its rotor diameter is just 4.5" and height is 2.4". Weight is 1.6 grams.
Worlds Smallest Helicopter
