<P> The earliest references for vertical flight came from China . Since around 400 BC, Chinese children have played with bamboo flying toys (or Chinese top). This bamboo - copter is spun by rolling a stick attached to a rotor . The spinning creates lift, and the toy flies when released . The 4th - century AD Daoist book Baopuzi by Ge Hong (抱 朴 子 "Master who Embraces Simplicity") reportedly describes some of the ideas inherent to rotary wing aircraft . </P> <P> Designs similar to the Chinese helicopter toy appeared in some Renaissance paintings and other works . In the 18th and early 19th centuries Western scientists developed flying machines based on the Chinese toy . </P> <P> It was not until the early 1480s, when Leonardo da Vinci created a design for a machine that could be described as an "aerial screw", that any recorded advancement was made towards vertical flight . His notes suggested that he built small flying models, but there were no indications for any provision to stop the rotor from making the craft rotate . As scientific knowledge increased and became more accepted, people continued to pursue the idea of vertical flight . </P> <P> In July 1754, Russian Mikhail Lomonosov had developed a small coaxial modeled after the Chinese top but powered by a wound - up spring device and demonstrated it to the Russian Academy of Sciences . It was powered by a spring, and was suggested as a method to lift meteorological instruments . In 1783, Christian de Launoy, and his mechanic, Bienvenu, used a coaxial version of the Chinese top in a model consisting of contrarotating turkey flight feathers as rotor blades, and in 1784, demonstrated it to the French Academy of Sciences . Sir George Cayley, influenced by a childhood fascination with the Chinese flying top, developed a model of feathers, similar to that of Launoy and Bienvenu, but powered by rubber bands . By the end of the century, he had progressed to using sheets of tin for rotor blades and springs for power . His writings on his experiments and models would become influential on future aviation pioneers . Alphonse Pénaud would later develop coaxial rotor model helicopter toys in 1870, also powered by rubber bands . One of these toys, given as a gift by their father, would inspire the Wright brothers to pursue the dream of flight . </P>

Who invented the first helicopter in the world