A helicopter before the Wright brothers?
Bahýľ patented a helicopter as early as 1895 in Austria-Hungary. According to surviving reports his motorised machine made a flight almost 1.5 km long. The exact technical details and independent confirmation of the flight are disputed, however, so aviation historians often do not recognise him as the first.
Other work
Bahýľ also worked on motor-driven balloons, pumps and equipment for the army. He was based in Bratislava, where he had a workshop.
Legacy
Several streets and schools bear his name. Bahýľ is part of the Slovak aviation trio with Štefan Banič, and today's flying cars also build on his legacy.