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Programming with Shahan
Programming with Shahan

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Flying Helicopter with CSS Animation (step-by-step guide)

Hey👨‍💻, welcome back.

In this article we gonna build a beautiful animation project using only HTML & CSS. This project is part of my "The Complete CSS3 Animations Course", and I assume that you are an intermediate-level CSS developer to build this project.
helicopter-project.gif
CSS3 Animation Properties That I used In this Project:

  • CSS Transformations
  • 3D Transformations
  • CSS Transitions
  • Animation
  • Custom Timing Function(keyframes)

So, are you excited to build this project? I'm too. Let's Begin 🏒

Note: In case you want to code along with me, I added full tutorial video at the bottom of this article. This helicopter shape was inspired by @frontendjoe

🏗 Defining Helicopter Structure Using HTML

Let's define a container in the main element called “helicopter” and inside this container write 4 div elements with class in order:

  • cockpit
  • tail
  • main
  • rotor

Inside this “rotor” class you have to add a div with class “rotator” along with two empty div inside this “rotator” class.

<html>
 <head>
 </head>
 <body>
  <main class="helicopter">
     <div class="cockpit"></div>
     <div class="tail"></div>
     <div class="main"></div>
     <div class="rotor">
       <div class="rotator">
         <div></div>
         <div></div>
       </div>
     </div>
     <main>
 </body>
</html>
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🚁Helicopter Design

In this section, we will design our HTML structure to turn into a helicopter shape.

Body

body {
  /* put elements into center */
    width: 100%;
    height: 100vh;
    display: flex;
    align-items: center;
    justify-content: center;
}
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.cockpit class

.cockpit {
    position: absolute;
    overflow: hidden;
    z-index: 1;
    width: 195px;
    height: 195px;
    border-radius: 100px 40px 50px 50px;
    background-color: #44d2fd;
}
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Output:
cockpit class output

Then we have to add glass to this cockpit class. So let's define glass shapes on .cockpit :before and :after:

.cockpit::before {
    content: "";
    position: absolute;
    z-index: 1;
    top: -10px;
    left: -25px;
    width: 170px;
    height: 170px;
    border-radius: 40px;
    background-color: #302e37;
}
.cockpit::after {
    content: "";
    position: absolute;
    z-index: 1;
    top: -60px;
    left: -60px;
    width: 170px;
    height: 170px;
    border-radius: 40px;
    background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.05);
}
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Output:
cockpit with glass shapes

.tail class

Now, we have to apply styles to .tail class:

.tail {
    position: absolute;
    top: 50px;
    left: 150px;
    transform-origin: left center;
    border-top: 10px solid transparent;
    border-bottom: 80px solid transparent;
    border-left: 350px solid #2fadd2;
    border-bottom-right-radius: 10px;
    height: 10px;
}
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Output:
Tail shapes with css

.main class

This class will be the helicopter rotator body:

.main {
    position: absolute;
    left: 130px;
    top: -10px;
    width: 40px;
    height: 20px;
    background: #302e37;
}
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Output:
main rotator shape

.rotor class

.rotor {
    width: 700px;
    height: 700px;
    border-radius: 350px;
    position: absolute;
    top: -360px;
    left: -200px;
    z-index: 2;
    overflow: hidden;
    background-color: #a299ab;
    opacity: 0.12;
    transform: scaleY(0.075);
}
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Output:
rotor shape image
After styling the main rotor, we have to target the two empty div inside this rotor to make this rotor realistic. You will see beautiful animation when we will apply rotate animation in the next lesson.

.rotator div {
    position: absolute;
    top: 50%;
    left: 50%;
    margin-left: -350px;
    margin-top: -30px;
    width: 700px;
    height: 80px;
    background-color: #fff;
}

.rotator div:nth-child(1){
    transform: rotate(0deg);
}

.rotor div:nth-child(2) {
    transform: rotate(90deg);
}
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Output:
Rotor class with rotator shape image

🛫Flying Capability

Up until now, we created our helicopter shape and design. But without animations and keyframes, there will be no animation. So, Let's give it flying power using CSS animation property.

⏱Defining @Keyframes

Before using the animation property, we need to create keyframes. For this project, we will create two @keyframs called:

  • bounce
  • rotate

bounce

@keyframes bounce {
    0%,100%{
        transform: translate(0px, -50px) rotate(-15deg);
    }
    50% {
        transform: translate(0px, 50px) rotate(-10deg);
    }
}
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rotate


@keyframes rotate {
    0% {
        transform: rotate(0deg);
    }
    100%{
        transform: rotate(360deg);
    }
}

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📁Using Animation Property

So far, we defined two @keyframes for our helicopter project. Now, add them in our .helicopter & .rotator class.

.helicopter class

.helicopter {
    animation: bounce 5s infinite; /* adding bounce keyframes with duration 5s and infinite loop */
}
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.rotator class

.rotator {
    position: absolute;
    width: 700px;
    height: 700px;
    border-radius: 350px;
    animation: rotate 0.6s linear infinite; /* added rotate @keyframs */
}
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Output:
helicopter-project.gif

🎬Full Tutorial

You can code along to build this project from scratch by following this video.

👏Conclusion

So, we learned how to create complex shapes and animation using only CSS. You even don't have to touch JavaScript. Hope you enjoy this project. You can subscribe to my YT channel if you are interested in Front-end dev.

Let me know what do you think after completing this project. Feel free to leave a comment below✍

☕_Buy me a coffee:
https://www.buymeacoffee.com/codewithshahan

🎿You can connect with me on:
Twitter
Linkedin
Github

Happy Coding!

Top comments (22)

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robinjustin profile image
justin

awesome actually this guidance is very useful to the visitors and thanks for posting this. Best regards from Higgs Domino RP MOD APK

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codewithshahan profile image
Programming with Shahan

Thank you.

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iamhtmldeveloper profile image
Amol Bhandare

Awesome work

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codewithshahan profile image
Programming with Shahan

Thank You

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olancheros profile image
Oscar Lancheros

Hey, this is so cool, thanks for sharing!

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codewithshahan profile image
Programming with Shahan

Thanks a lot bro.

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vivatvapk123 profile image
vivatvapk123

Good job actually this guidance is very useful to the visitors and thanks for posting this. Best regards from Viva TV Apk Tq.

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codewithshahan profile image
Programming with Shahan

Glad to hear that!

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dovakhiiin profile image
Jmungai-tech

Pretty cool

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codewithshahan profile image
Programming with Shahan

As I believe!

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souksyp profile image
Souk Syp.

Awesome!!

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codewithshahan profile image
Programming with Shahan

Exactly 🧐

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profsofia profile image
profsofia

So awsome! 👏👏👏👏

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codewithshahan profile image
Programming with Shahan

Good luck

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ivanovichenco profile image
Ivan Adolfo Calderon

Yes, it is genial. Thanks.

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codewithshahan profile image
Programming with Shahan

You're very welcome

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yousefsabealeish profile image
Yousef Sabe Al Eish

Thank You

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codewithshahan profile image
Programming with Shahan

You’re Welcome

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welekhak profile image
WeLekhak

This is nice
But looks like you have copied it from insta@frontendjoe

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Programming with Shahan

inspired by him🎉

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