First flight of a helicopter with articulated/flapping blades (Breguet-Dorand Gyroplane Laboratoire)

Description

The aircraft was the Gyroplane Laboratoire (tr. Laboratory Gyroplane).

This proved that articulated blades (blades linked to the rotor hub by flapping hinges) could be used in a helicopter. The aircraft also used cyclic pitch for lateral and longitudinal control and collective pitch for lift control.

Cierva had earlier flown a gyroplane with articulated blades.

This aircraft caputured  a number of world records including FAI record ID # 13059 for straight line distance of 500 m. Other records by this aircraft are detiled bt FAI Record ID # 13060, 13061, 13062 and 13084.

Source: “Breguet-Dorand Gyroplane Laboratoire”, Peter Noell, 2019 VTOL History Calendar, VFS

and

Source: "Pre-WWII Helicopters, The American Helicopter: An Overview of Helicopter Developments in America 1908-1999", Michael J. Hirschberg, July 2000, Page 18