Hand Propeller

Old Fashioned “Flying Machine”. This toy is possibly the world’s oldest flying toy! Over 2000 years ago, the Chinese invented a toy of this type called the “Chinese Top.” A helicopter-type flying toy called a Penaud, based on the “Chinese Top,” was given to the Wright brothers in 1878 by their father. They became fascinated with the idea of flying. After building kites and bikes, they studied bird flight and experimented with propellers before building their 1903 four-cylinder engine.