alternatehistory.com

So, What if the helicopters had been invented before the airplane?

What i know is the airplane in OTL was officially first flown in 1903, with a much better version of it in 1909, single wing, unaided lift, showing they were very capable of being used(to say it crudely). A very succesfull development.

The helicopter, OTL first flight was in 1907, but they were not very successful. Though the invention itself is not far apart from the plane, the designs had major flaws and they simply couldn't develop them to be more successful in design(mostly because of the lack of a tail rotor i suspect). A more stable version, without constantly failing were only being build in the 1920's. With the first truly useable's only developed in the 1930, 1940's.

But what if that was the other way around and helicopters were first invented as a stable, sustainable way of actually flying? Earlier use of the tail rotor and better engines to give them a decent lift load. Lets make the plane less successfull with more crashes and less efficient designs, like the helicopter suffered. So, Helicopters in view in 1906, planes only in the 1930's.

How would the future look like? How would WWI and WWII look like? how far and what role would the 2 have today?
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