In 1910 A. E. Hunt, a blacksmith, resident in Jetmore, Kansas, designed and built a helicopter, which was referred to as a Rotary Aeroplane.

[2][3] The fuselage consisted of an open framework, with a flat floor, vertical sides, and an arched canopy.

Each rotor, arranged in tandem, consisted of a set of blades surrounded by a shallow shroud made of sheet tin.

Later tests carried out by A. E. Hunt confirmed that the apparatus was able to lift 400 lb (180 kg), though that was insufficient to achieve flight.

It was subsequently reported that the Rotary Aeroplane had been sold for scrap, and that Hunt had started work on a second flying machine, but that it was not completed.