The helicopter – a flying machine capable of flying low and precisely at low speeds, able to execute a turn with a radius unattainable for aeroplanes – quickly found application in agricultural aviation. The first spraying trials using a helicopter (Sikorsky R-4) were conducted in England by Dr W.
E. Ripper. In the field of helicopters, no specialist type for agricultural aviation work emerged; due to operational parameters, light helicopters with the option of fitting equipment (tanks, pipes, atomisers, etc.) are generally used. Helicopters adapted for agricultural work include: the Djinn SO 1221 (France), the Kamov Ka-26 (USSR/Russia), the Cessna CH-1 Skyhook (USA), and the Schweizer 300/Sikorsky S-300 (USA).
Autogyros adapted for agricultural work are also produced.
A helicopter turn during such [agricultural aviation] operations is quite similar to a wingover and takes only about 20 seconds. — Stanisław Wielgus*
