A helicopter is an aircraft which creates lift by means of its rotary blades which rotate about a central axis. Helicopters have extensive maneuverability as they can hover and fly backward, not requiring a runway as they land and take off vertically. It is thus possible for a helicopter to land just about anywhere, making helicopters particularly useful in rescue operations.
Helicopters are complex and more expensive when compared with fixed-wing aircraft. In the year 1942 the first fully-controllable helicopter to go into full-scale production was created by Igor Sikorsky. The helicopter is a versatile and useful aircraft.