Kamov Ka-8

The Kamov Ka-8 Irkutyanin, named for Irkutsk, was a small single-seat Soviet helicopter that first flew in 1947 and was a precursor of the Ka-10. It had twin coaxial contra-rotating rotors, so no tail rotor was needed. Because the Soviet government cared more about helicopters than the autogyros Kamov was then known for, he designed it as a flying motorcycle, with an engine and fuel tank at the front, pontoons for landing and a welded steel tube frame. Its fabric-covered wooden blades were attached to a metal hub. Mikhail Gurov flew and evaluated it in 1947, after which the controls and pontoons were revised.