Paul Cornu

Paul Cornu, of Romanian origins,[1] was born in Glos la Ferrière, France and was one of thirteen children.

[2] He made history by designing the world's first successful manned rotary wing aircraft.

Cornu first built an unmanned experimental design powered by a 2 hp Buchet engine.

[5] Previously, a French helicopter, the Breguet-Richet Gyroplane I, had managed to lift off under its own power, but it had been held in position by men standing on the ground.

Paul Cornu died aged 62 in 1944 in Lisieux, France, when his home was destroyed during the bombardment by the Allies that accompanied the Normandy landings of World War II.

French engineer Paul Cornu in his first helicopter in 1907 . Note that he is sitting between the two rotors, which rotated in opposite directions to cancel torque. This helicopter was the first flying machine to have risen from the ground using rotor blades instead of wings.
Full length photograph of the Cornu helicopter .