Eurocopter EC665 HAP Tigre —

great photo@!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Awesome 5*

OK, so who can guess as to which was the first 'copter to be ale to fly upside down? 5 points to the person who knows :)

jobeard... If I'm not mistaken the Lockheed AH-56 Cheyenne and the Messerschmitt-Bölkow-Blohm Bo 105 both preceded this helicopter to inverted flight. The two are also rigid rotor designs!

jobeard & cliff - but the very first chopper to achieve inverted flight was the South African built Rooivalk

Viv Pike - The Lockheed Cheyenne first flew in 1967. The MBB Bo 105 first took flight in 1970. The South African Denel Rooivalk first flight did not occur until 1990.

Hi Cliff - I'm not doubting you at all. Your knowledge of aircraft certainly is a load more than mine !! Could those craft "perform inverted loops", or actually "fly upside down" ? According to Denel, when the Rooivalk first came out, it was the only helicopter in the world that could fly upside down.

Viv Pike - I recall reading in the early 1970's that Lockheed's Cheyenne with its rigid rotor design was capable of inside loops. I've previously flown on a MBB 105 and recall that that the pilot of said helicopter mentioned the same capability,

Thanks @Yves and @Viv for bring such history to life!!