Cicaré constructed his first engine at the age of 11, while by age 15 he was constructing motorcycle engines. In 1958, despite having never seen an actual helicopter before, and knowing little of helicopter design, Cicaré's first successful helicopter design, the CH-1, flew for the first time, with its designer as the test pilot, teaching himself how to fly in the process. The CH-1 was the first helicopter to have been designed and built in South America. By 1972, Cicaré was developing his third helicopter.