| "Flying Octopus" | |
|---|---|
| |
| Role | Experimental rotorcraft |
| Manufacturer | George de Bothezat |
| Designer | George de Bothezat Ivan Jerome |
| First flight | 18 December 1922 |
| Retired | 1924 |
| Primary user | U.S. Army Air Service |
| Number built | 1 |
The de Bothezat helicopter, also known as the Jerome-de Bothezat Flying Octopus,[1] was an experimental quadrotor helicopter built for the United States Army Air Service by George de Bothezat in the early 1920s, and was said at the time to be the first successful helicopter. Although its four massive six-bladed rotors allowed the craft to fly successfully, it suffered from complexity, control difficulties, and high pilot workload, and was reportedly only capable of forward flight in a favorable wind. The Army canceled the program in 1924, and the aircraft was scrapped.