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Some aircraft, like helicopters, are capable of vertical flight. There are also specialized aircraft, known as Vertical Takeoff and Landing aircraft or VTOL, which use combinations of fixed wings and lifting thrust to perform like helicopters in takeoff and landing, but cruise like airplanes.

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Stories

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A helicopter flies low over a snow-covered, jagged mountain range. The rotors kick up a light mist of snow against the dark, rocky terrain. Story

Why Are Astronauts Making Daring Fights Through the Mountains?

A drone with a simple, spartan chassis has two helicopter blades, one mounted above the other. Story

The Little Copter That Could

A small black helicopter is photographed in a studio-like setting. Story

Flying the Martian Skies

Curator Peter Jakab portrait with the Bell UH-1H Iroquois "Huey" Smokey III helicopter. Story

The Smoke Ship

A small helicopter sits at idle on a rocky surface. Story

Ingenuity’s First Year on the Surface of Mars

On demand

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Video

Fold and Fly a Whirligig Craft Activity

  • September 27, 2022
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Surprising Roles of Drones

  • October 22, 2018
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Copters, Choppers and the Phrog: The Science of Vertical Flight

  • May 16, 2016
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Sikorsky - Father and Son on Helicopters

  • May 14, 2015
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Test Pilots: Faster, Higher, Farther - STEM in 30 Season 9 - Episode 2

From the Collection

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Full view of a silver plane with a wooden propeller, an orange sticker on the side, and three long wings extending towards the back of the plane.

Autogiro Company of America AC-35

Object

Bell UH-1H Iroquois "Huey" Smokey III

Object

Sikorsky XR-5

Object

Exhibitions

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Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15bis "Fagot B" at the Udvar-Hazy Center Exhibition

Korea and Vietnam Aviation

  • Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, VA
  • On View Exhibition
Lockheed Martin X-35B STOVL Exhibition

Modern Military Aviation

  • Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, VA
  • On View Exhibition

Learning Resources

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Lesson Video

K2 Caretaker Video Flying High With a Balloon

Learn about the highest balloon flight and parachute jump in this fun, interactive video.

More K2 Caretaker Video Flying High With a Balloon
Less K2 Caretaker Video Flying High With a Balloon
Grade Level

Grade K

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Topics
Balloons, People, Technology and Engineering, Vertical flight, Records and Firsts, Aviation, and General aviation
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https://drive.google.com/file/d/11QKXFvPPgkE4ZhqugX961rwVsBT70X68/copy?usp=sharing

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