early helicopter attempt

"Jess Dixon (1886-1963) of Andalusia, Alabama got tired of being stuck in traffic, so he designed and built this flying vehicle in 1936. It was a combination of automobile, helicopter and motorcycle. It had two large lifting rotors in a single head revolving in opposite directions. It was powered by a 40 hp air-cooled engine. According to Dixon it was capable of a top speed of 100 mph. The vehicle was designed to allow for the transfer of engine power from the rotor blades to the wheels."

"In the above photo, Jess is at the controls of the developing flying machine. It appears that the machine is actually flying, but it was never developed by Dixon to the point that it could actually fly. At times, he would take ropes and tie it to the ground and the overhead blades would actually lift the machine. Initially, he had a big tail that was not enough to handle that torque, and that eventually brought about the tail fin motor.  Jess was not an impatient person, but he did want people to believe he could fly the “flying ginny,” as he often called it. This photo is actually retouched, as you can easily tell by the plain smooth background area. If you look closely, you can see the bricks supporting the axel on the copter.  Jess is also credited with building an early glider that was flown successfully from Dixon airport." (Kobel Feature Photos, Frankfort, Indiana)

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