Attempts at human flight go a long way back into history First success did not come by use of man’s own power for propulsion but by the use of balloons for lifting Later gliders were made for descending flight It was only when a much greater source of power than man’s own was developed that flight with heavier than air machines became really successful It was not until the 1930s that much serious attention was given to man-powered aircraft flight With the aeronautical knowledge that was then available successful man-powered aeroplanes were developed and built which flew a few hundred yards Little attention appears to have been given to the possibility of a manpowered helicopter, possibly because it did not appear to be as promising a line of development as the aeroplane