Corrected entry: When Senator Chapman (Charles Durning) is landed on the Nimitz, he asks his assistant, "what kind of machine was that that they picked us up with?" He is referring to the helicopter. Yet helicopters, although primitive, existed in the early 40s, and most people in America were familiar with autogyros, which had been around since the late 1920s.
J I Cohen
27th Aug 2001
Correction: If the Senator knew anything about autogyros, it would be obvious to him that this was not an autogyro (they can't hover). The 1st single main rotor helicopter did fly in 1939, but the 1st production helicopter was not produced until 1942 (see: http://www.sikorskyarchives.com/timeline.html). As the events in the movie happen in late '41, it is quite reasonable that the Senator would be unfamiliar with helicopters.
J I Cohen