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The 1930's

The Helicopter Flies High

The Helicopter Flies High
Reading Level
     edHelper's suggested reading level:   grades 7 to 9
     Flesch-Kincaid grade level:   7.36

Vocabulary
     challenging words:    tremendous, reality, fascination, military, aircraft, fully, power, campaign, actual, recent, maneuver, rotor, landing, produce, blade, lighter
     content words:    Paul Cornu, Emile Berliner, Igor Sikorsky, Two Russian, Focke-Wulf Fw, World War II, Their Flettner FL, United States Army, Helicopter Training School, Royal Air Force

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The Helicopter Flies High
By Jane Runyon 		  
1     It seems that ever since man first watched birds fly through the skies, he has wanted to fly himself. Soaring on the winds became a fascination. Some men, like the Wright brothers, worked on creating a lighter than air craft. Others had another dream in mind. They dreamed of a flying machine that would lift straight up off the ground and maneuver in any direction the pilot desired. Is this a fairly recent dream? No, not really.
 
2     In 400 BC, the Chinese created a children's toy with a bamboo top that flew into the sky. Leonardo da Vinci drew his idea of a machine that would lift people into the heavens in 1490. He was way ahead of his time. It wasn't until the 20th century that man realized these dreams by producing and flying in helicopters. It took the invention of a powered airplane to lead the way to a craft that used a rotor to fly straight up.
 
3     Inventors all over the world tried their hands at creating a helicopter. Names like Paul Cornu, Emile Berliner, and Igor Sikorsky were pioneers in the field. The first practical craft using a rotating blade on top was introduced in 1923 by Juan de la Cierva. From that experiment came the basic design for today's helicopters.

Paragraphs 4 to 7:
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