stabilisation. From 1916 to 1919 Brennan served in the munitions inventions department. In 1916 he submitted a patent application entitled "Improvements Relating to Aerial Navigation" in which he outlined designs for a helicopter, and in June 1916 he received support for his experimental helicopter project from the British Ministry of Munitions. From 1919 to 1926 he was engaged by the Air Ministry in aircraft research work at the Royal Aircraft Establishment, Farnborough, and gave much time to developing his helicopter. The first tethered flights (inside a hangar) took place in December 1921, at which time the engine was up-rated from the Bentley BR1 to the Bentley BR2. Flight trials in the open started in May 1924, however in October 1925 a demonstration flight ended with one of the twin blade rotors touching the ground causing damage to several components. The government had spent a large sum of money on it, and the Air Ministry was still offering an award of £50,000 for the developments of a successful machine, but in 1926 the air ministry gave up funding the Brennan helicopter project, much to Brennan's disappointment. He married Anna Quinn (died 1931) on 10 September 1892. He was survived by a son and a daughter. Brennan was created a Companion of the Order of the Bath in 1892, and was foundation member of the National Academy of Ireland in 1922. In January 1932 he was knocked down by a car at Montreux, Switzerland, and died on 17 January 1932. Brennan was buried at St. Mary's Roman Catholic Cemetery, Kensal Green, London, in an unmarked plot numbered 2454 that is opposite the Chapel record office. On 11 March 2014, Irish Taoiseach Enda Kenny unveiled a new gravestone for Brennan at St. Mary's in a ceremony honouring the inventor's life and career. Gillingham Library retains the archive of his papers. See also Gillingham References Further reading External links The gyroscopic monorail of Louis Brennan "Louis Brennan: The Wizard of Oz" in Heroes and Villains of Ireland. Turtle Bunbury. 1852 births 1932 deaths 19th-century Australian inventors Engineers from Melbourne Australian people in rail transport People from Castlebar Companions of the Order of the Bath Irish emigrants to colonial Australia