The Hoppi-Copter was a functional

backpack helicopter A backpack helicopter / helipack is a helicopter motor and rotor and controls assembly that can be strapped to a person's back, so they can walk about on the ground wearing it, and can use it to fly. It uses a harness like a parachute harness an ...

developed by the American company Hoppi-Copters Inc. founded by

Horace T. Pentecost Quintus Horatius Flaccus (; 8 December 65 BC – 27 November 8 BC),Suetonius, Life of Horace commonly known in the English-speaking world as Horace (), was the leading Roman lyric poet during the time of Augustus (also known as Octavian). The r ...

in the 1940s. The original Hoppi-Copter consisted of two

contra-rotating Contra-rotating, also referred to as coaxial contra-rotating, is a technique whereby parts of a mechanism rotate in opposite directions about a common axis, usually to minimise the effect of torque. Examples include some aircraft propellers, r ...

rotors on a pole attached to a motorized backpack. Although it was capable of flight, it was extremely hard to control. Later prototypes of the Hoppi-Copter included versions with the pilot in a sitting position, and were in effect miniature one-man helicopters of a more conventional design, though retaining the contra-rotating rotors and thus obviating a

tail rotor The tail rotor is a smaller rotor mounted vertically or near-vertically at the tail of a traditional single-rotor helicopter, where it rotates to generate a propeller-like horizontal thrust in the same direction as the main rotor's rotation. ...

. Despite interest from the British

Ministry of Supply The Ministry of Supply (MoS) was a department of the UK government formed on 1 August 1939 by the Ministry of Supply Act 1939 ( 2 & 3 Geo. 6. c. 38) to co-ordinate the supply of equipment to all three British armed forces, headed by the Ministe ...

in the 102 and 104 models, none were adopted commercially.

Variants

;Pentecost HX-1 Hoppi-Copter (Hoppi-Copter 100): original back-pack version. ;Hoppi-Copter 101: equipped with a seat and landing gear, proved that more development was necessary. ;Hoppi-Copter 102: framed, with seat for pilot. ;Hoppi-Copter 103: as the 102, but lighter with a more powerful engine and slightly greater rotor diameter ;Hoppi-Copter 104: as the 103, with even greater rotor diameter ;Hoppi-Copter Firefly

Specifications (Hoppi-Copter 102)

References

{{Reflist Helicopters United States ultralight aircraft Aircraft first flown in 1940 Coaxial rotor helicopters Single-engined piston helicopters Ultralight helicopters

Variants

Specifications (Hoppi-Copter 102)

See also

References