Welcome to Vertipedia!

What is Vertipedia?

Vertipedia is a comprehensive online reference for vertical lift aircraft. Our goal is to provide high-quality information on aircraft design and configuration, key physical and performance characteristics, and rotors and powerplants to industry, academia and the public.

Vertipedia provides data on a wide and growing range of aircraft, from historical and experimental examples to up-to-the-minute machines in front-line service. Each aircraft provides an overview that contains basic information such as manufacturer, operational status, and number of engines. This information is available to all.

Much more complete, in-depth views, however, are available to AHS members. This includes dimensional and layout data, specific performance data, powerplant information, and data on lift and control devices such as main and tail rotors. If you are not currently a member of AHS, we provide valuable benefits well beyond Vertipedia - why not join us today?

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Vertipedia's search page provides a number of ways to locate individual aircraft, as well as manufacturer and operator information.

Finding information in Vertipedia:

Search by aircraft name. This can be further filtered by type and variant designation, if any.
Search by country and name of primary manufacturer, as well as operators.
Search by powerplant installed.

More specific searches can be made based on VTOL type (i.e. autogyro, helicopter, jet lift, and so on), by lift configuration (i.e. single main rotor, coaxial rotor, tilt wing), or even by operational status.

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Help Vertipedia grow!

Vertipedia currently contains data on 867 aircraft and 465 powerplants. 395 organizations are also represented, including manufacturers, operators and design authorities.

One day, Vertipedia will be the standard reference for all makes and models of vertical lift aircraft ever flown. But we need your help to get there. If you'd like to contribute, check out how you can get involved! We are looking for volunteers across the AHS membership to help Vertipedia grow, especially in areas like research and data entry.

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On December 14 in the history of vertical flight:

1958 - First flight of Harbin Z-5, the Chinese 1st generation helicopter

1977 - First flight of the Mil Mi-26

Featured Aircraft

Our latest featured aircraft for December is the Erickson S-64F/CH-54B Aircrane .

Entering service as the Sikorsky CH-54 Tarhe heavy-lift helicopter, this aircraft became known as the S-64 Aircrane when Erickson Air-Crane purchased the type certificates, as well as manufacturing and support rights, from Sikorsky in 1992. The S-64F models are upgraded, certified CH-54B aircraft, with remanufactured airframes.

Used in construction, logging, and firefighting around the world, these aircraft set several flight records, many of which are still current. For example, in 1971 a S-64F/CH-54B set a record for highest altitude in level flight (11,010 m, or 36,122 ft) that still stands today.

The Aircranes are unique in that they feature an aft-facing position for load master or engineer. The aircraft can be piloted from this position. While three crew are employed when carrying external loads, only two crew (as per EASA TCDS No. EASA.IM.R.003 page 6) are required to fly the aircraft.

Let us know how we are doing!

We want to hear your opinion - let us know how we are doing using the "Feedback" link to the left. Or, contact the Vertipedia team directly using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of each page.

Join the discussion!

Share your expert opinions, or read the opinions of others, in our discussion forums. Here's some of the latest talk on Vertipedia's aircraft:

Jun 17, 2017: RE: What was the date of the first helicopter Type certificate?

Issue clarified via and the [url=https://vertipedia.vtol.org/milestones.cfm?milestoneID=10]milestone has been updated in Vertipedia[/url] ... [read more]

Jun 11, 2017: Date of the first heliciopter Type certificate?

There is currently a milestone in Vertipedia that shows that first helicopter Type certificate was awarded to the Bell 47B on Mar 08, 1946 (see link below). ... [read more]

Dec 21, 2016: RE: XV-15

Post discussions with the Vertipedia team it has been agreed to restructure this entry to reflect only the XV-15 TRRA and remove the XV-3 as the parent Type. Th ... [read more]

Sep 1, 2016: RE: Tip-jet propulsion systems and anti-torque devices

There are a number of different forms of anti-torque device. These include, - Fenestrons, or ducted/shrouded tail rotors - these usually include many more bl ... [read more]

Aug 31, 2016: RE: Tip-jet propulsion systems and anti-torque devices

Thanks comodo15, that makes sense. Are there anti-torque devices other than tail rotors? ... [read more]

Aug 25, 2016: RE: Tip-jet propulsion systems and anti-torque devices

A great question! To make the rotor rotate something has to overcome the drag forces on each blade, which require a compensating torque to applied to the rot ... [read more]

Aug 24, 2016: RE: FIrst flight of the McDonnell XV-1 Convertaplane

The [url=http://www.vtol.org/qr/july-2013/]AHS Calendar entry for July 2013[/url] seems to fully support your response and the [url=http://vertipedia.vtol.org/m ... [read more]

Aug 19, 2016: Re: McDonnell XV-1

“My research says the first lift off of ship #1 was Feb. 1954 [url=https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=2&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwi09 ... [read more]

Aug 16, 2016: Tip-jet propulsion systems and anti-torque devices

I see you have some aircraft with main rotors driven by tip jets, such as the [url=http://vertipedia.vtol.org/aircraft.cfm?aircraftID=294]Hiller Hornet[/url], t ... [read more]

Aug 11, 2016: RE: Twist definitions

"Twist on a wing is most usually defined as positive nose up from root to tip; this is called wash-in. Most wings in practice have negative twist from root to t ... [read more]