Who is credited with inventing the first successful practical helicopter used for controlled powered flight?

Introduction / Context:
The helicopter is a special type of aircraft that can take off and land vertically, hover, and move in any direction. It plays a vital role in rescue missions, military operations, and civilian transport. This question aims to test your knowledge of the inventor who is credited with building the first successful practical helicopter capable of controlled powered flight, a key milestone in aviation history.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The question is about the first practical helicopter, not early experimental concepts or toys.
• The inventor built a machine that could actually fly and be controlled by a pilot.
• We assume basic awareness of well known aviation pioneers.

Concept / Approach:
To answer, recall that while the Wright brothers are associated with fixed wing aeroplanes, a different pioneer is linked with helicopters. A Russian born American engineer designed and flew an early successful helicopter in the nineteen thirties and nineteen forties. His name is strongly associated with helicopter design, and even today some helicopter models carry his name. Identifying this person among the options will give you the correct choice.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Separate airplane pioneers from helicopter pioneers in your mind. Step 2: Recall that Igor Sikorsky is regarded as the father of the modern helicopter. Step 3: Look at the options and find Igor Sikorsky in option B. Step 4: Confirm that the other options refer to unrelated historical figures. Step 5: Select Igor Sikorsky as the correct answer.

Verification / Alternative check:
Copernicus was an astronomer who proposed the heliocentric model of the Solar System and had nothing to do with helicopters. Cockrell and Drinker are not standard names in helicopter development history. Orville Wright, along with his brother Wilbur, is associated with fixed wing powered flight in 1903, not with vertical take off rotorcraft. Helicopter history books clearly mention Igor Sikorsky as the key figure behind the first practical helicopter, confirming that he is the correct choice.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Copernicus worked in astronomy, centuries before aviation technology existed.
Cockrell is not recognised as a major helicopter pioneer in aviation history.
Drinker also is not connected with helicopter invention in standard references.
Orville Wright helped invent the aeroplane, not the helicopter.

Common Pitfalls:
A frequent mistake is to see the name Wright and immediately choose it because of its strong link to early flight, without noticing that the question specifically mentions a helicopter. Another pitfall is confusion between different types of aircraft and not paying attention to key words like helicopter and vertical flight. To avoid such errors, always read the question carefully and recall which inventor is linked to which specific type of machine.

Final Answer:
The first successful practical helicopter is credited to Igor Sikorsky.