Early developments, 1900-1939 -- Historical background -- Limited successes -- Autogyros and gyroplanes -- The first successful helicopters in Europe -- Successes in the United States -- World War II, 1939-1945 -- Sikorsky XR-5 and XR-6 -- Frank Nicholas Piasecki -- From military to commercial helicopter -- Stanley Hiller, Jr. -- Charles Kaman -- Korea and the Cold War, 1946-1961 -- Bell helicopters -- Hiller helicopters -- Piasecki helicopter corporation -- The S-55 helicopter -- Westland helicopters -- Nicolai I. Kamov -- French Indochina -- Vietnam, the Middle East, and the face-off in Europe, 1961-1975 -- The United States in Vietnam -- NATO -- The Middle East -- Warsaw Pact -- Technological evolution, 1976-1990 -- NATO combat support helicopters -- Attack helicopters -- Combat service support helicopters -- Warsaw Pact -- Desert Shield/Storm and beyond, 1990-2003 -- Combat support : passenger helicopters -- Combat service support helicopters -- Attack helicopters -- Tilt rotor aircraft -- NOTAR -- Helicopter specifications.