De Lackner HZ-1 Aerocycle: The Worst Helicopter

The De Lackner HZ-1 Aerocycle was a scary machine that had the pilots standing directly above the rotor blades, making it one of the most uncomfortable ideas ever for a helicopter. Between 1954 and 1956, various iterations of the machine were tried, initially showing promise.

The machine's power was controlled by a twist grip throttle while steering, pitching, and yawing were designed to be controlled by leaning. This was designed to be so simple that a soldier could operate it after less than 30 minutes of instruction in a manner akin to riding a bicycle. After crashes, the machine's safety became an obvious problem. Additionally, standing pilots on an aerocycle would appear to be simple targets for hostile fire. The US Army anticipated utilizing the machines as part of an airborne cavalry force, but the Aerocycle project was ultimately abandoned.

Before concluding that the Aerocycle was too defective, test pilot Captain Selmer Sundby, who was in charge of the project's tests and program development, was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross in 1958 for his work on the project. In Fort Eustis, Virginia, the US Army Transportation Museum has one remaining Aerocycle on display.

Role: Experimental rotorcraft
National origin: United States
Manufacturer: de Lackner Helicopters
Designer: Lewis C. McCarty Jr.
First flight: 22 November 1954
Primary user: United States Army
Number built: 12