119 Years Ago, a Bicycle Manufacturer Launched the Ancestor of the Helicopter
- Published on 13/11/2026 13:02
On November 13, 1907, Paul Cornu attempted to fly a strange machine in Normandy. Generally credited with the first free takeoff of a piloted helicopter, this bicycle manufacturer etched his name in aviation history.
Before conquering the skies, some pioneers began by repairing bicycles. Like the Wright brothers in the United States, Paul Cornu belongs to a world of workshops where mechanics fuel ambitions. On November 13, 1907, in Coquainvilliers, near Lisieux, the Frenchman took on a challenge: to leave the ground vertically, with a man on board.
Two rotors and a 24-horsepower engine
His machine is nothing like a modern helicopter. Two large rotors, arranged one in front of the other, are powered by a 24-horsepower Antoinette engine. Cornu himself takes the controls of this experimental device, sometimes nicknamed his “flying bicycle”.
The challenge is to rise without being helped by assistants on the ground. A few months prior, the Breguet brothers had already lifted a pilot with their own device, but men had to stabilize it.
Cornu’s experiment is generally considered the first free takeoff of a helicopter with a pilot on board. An important milestone, even if the performance remains far from a true controlled aerial movement.
A historic takeoff, a flight still debated
Because behind the image of the victorious pioneer, the reality deserves some nuance. Guinness likely describes a leap or a series of leaps, rather than a controlled flight. The control system proves ineffective, and the machine does not undergo operational development.
This limitation does not take away from the adventure’s significance. It tells of a time when inventing meant building, trying, and accepting failure, without having the knowledge that would later allow progress.
Thus, this November 13 marks the anniversary of a foundational attempt: that of a bicycle manufacturer determined to give mobility a new dimension.
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This page is translated from the original post "Il y a 119 ans un fabricant de vélos faisait décoller l’ancêtre de l’hélicoptère" in French.
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