When did the first piloted rotary-wing aircraft lift off?

Short answer

On 29 September 1907: the Breguet brothers' Gyroplane No.I flew for the first time, though it only reached 0.6 m (2 ft) and was not a free flight, since four men stabilised the structure. It was neither controllable nor steerable, but it was the first time a rotary-wing craft had lifted a pilot off the ground.

Published: November 5, 2026 · Updated: November 5, 2026 · Edited by Above Ten Thousand · Editorial policy

When did the first piloted rotary-wing aircraft lift off?

Breguet Gyroplane 1907PHGCOM (CC BY SA), vía commons

An open framework with four twin rotors

The Gyroplane No.I was one of the first attempts to create a practical rotary-wing aircraft. It was designed by the Breguet brothers with the help of Professor Charles Richet. It had an open, uncovered steel framework, with a seat for the pilot and the power plant in the centre. Four tubular steel arms, braced with cable, extended from the central structure, each carrying a superimposed pair of four-blade rotors. To cancel out torque effect, two sets of rotors turned clockwise and the other two counterclockwise.

The ascent of 29 September 1907

On 29 September 1907 the Gyroplane No.I flew for the first time, though it only reached a height of 0.6 m (2 ft). It was not a free flight: four men were employed to stabilise the structure. The craft was neither controllable nor steerable, but it was the first time a rotary-wing device had lifted itself and a pilot into the air. It later went on to fly as high as 1.52 m (4.99 ft) above the ground.

The Gyroplane No.II

The No.II carried two two-blade rotors 7.85 m (25.75 ft) in diameter and also carried fixed wings. Powered by a 41 kW (55 hp) Renault engine, it was reported to have flown successfully more than once in 1908.