An Anglo-American helicopter lead would be visible enough that rival navies could not ignore it. Germany would probably begin serious work after Hitler's rise, while Mussolini's Italy would invest earlier for reasons of prestige and competition. Italian participation in the Spanish Civil War could then put helicopters into a real operational environment before the Second World War. That experience would spread lessons beyond the navies that began the race, leaving any later wartime advantage contested.
Notable Point · 1:19:47-1:20:43
Axis adoption brings helicopters into prewar combat
British and American progress would provoke German and Italian programs, potentially giving rotorcraft operational testing during the Spanish Civil War.