The military helicopter has come to
prominence since the Second World War as the workhorse of the battlefield -- casualty, evacuation, angel of mercy and more recently, as a direct fire weapon. The attack helicopter in particular is challenging the supremacy of the main battle tank. Today's helicopter technology must be seen against the background of the evolution of helicopter design in the United States and Europe from the 1920s onwards. The author demonstrates with photographs, line drawings and original text, the revolution
in design and technology. Considerable time is spent reviewing the various design phases of a helicopter, from conception through to the building and prototype testing stages. Current helicopter design programmes are outlined with emphasis on future programmes and with an assessment of their importance to the industry. |
