Born: United States of America
Primarily active in: United States of America

Bruno Nagler was a helicopter pioneer who started building helicopters in the early 1930s.

Nagler was born in Vienna, and it was there that his interest in rotorcraft development began, an interest which would direct his activities for the rest of his life.  He was one of the few original pre-World War II helicopter builders, and by the end of WW II had constructed seven different rotorcraft. He bagan with a cyclogiro and in the mid 1930's in England was involved in a program that led to the development of the successful gyroplane, a feathering control version of the autogiro.  At the outbreak of WW II the German Air Ministry commissioned him to develop an ultra light helicopter for the individual soldier. A variant of this helicopter can be seen in the Smithsonian today.

After WW II Nagler came to the United States where he continued his work on the development of the small helicopter.  Several prototypes were constructed, the most successful version designated as the Honcho 100 developed in the mid 1970's.

Mr. Nagler died of a heart attack on January 17, 1979. Nagler was 78 at the time of his death and was interred in Scottsdale, Arizona.  

AHS Update: VERTIFLITE March/April 1979