The important point that one has to remember is that the development of the concept of helicopters was not started by Bell, or for that matter not even in America. The first attempts were in Europe and records say that the first attempt was made by Dr. Van Hecke who built a helicopter with 4 rotors in 1847 in Belgium. There are no records of many flights undertaken by it, and it is unlikely that it made any flights at all as the technology was undeveloped. The next important attempt was made in Italy 30 years later by Prof. Enrico Forlanini who demonstrated his model of a helicopter. This was a small machine weighing just 3.5 kilograms or 7.7 pounds and had coaxial rotors for developing power through a two cylinder steam engine. The takeoff was through the use of a spherical steam accumulator which built up pressures to the level of 10 atmospheres, or 10 times the pressure of air in the atmosphere. Then this was released and the craft rose to the level of 13 meters or 43 feet and remain airborne for about 20 seconds. (Rotary Wing Aviation) .

             It is clear that the concept of a helicopter was in the minds of men for a long time, but no practical design was built to translate the dream into reality. Part of the reason was that the technical requirements for developing the ancillary or support technologies did not exist. At the same time, even when the other industries developed, there had to be an organization which developed the first helicopter in the world to be a commercial success and that was the greatest feat achieved by Bell helicopters. .

             Analysis .

             As mentioned before, let us remember that helicopters were not an original and total idea of Bell helicopters, but they were the first to make it a commercial success and have their products use in all spheres - both military and commercial. Some say that the earliest attempts at designing of helicopters go back to the time of Leonardo Da Vinci in 1486 while others even push it back further to the Chinese Flying Top designed by Ko Hung around 320 AD.