Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation
If you looked back on the history of aircraft, one name would stand out above the rest: Sikorsky.
Igor Sikorsky entered this world on May 25, 1889 in Russia. He had four other siblings of which he was the youngest. At the tender age of eleven, Igor was already conducting experiments with model aircraft, and one year later, he created a miniature helicopter powered by a rubber band.
When he was fourteen, he began taking courses at Saint Petersburg Imperial Russian Naval Academy, and it was there that he decided he would dedicate his life to the field of engineering.
In 1908, Igor and his father went on a trip to Germany. While there, Sikorsky became aware of the Wright brothers and all they had accomplished in America. That stimulus caused him to change his mind about engineering and persue a career in aviation.
Igor founded Sikorsky Aero Engineering Company in 1923 with the aid of some former officers in the Russian army. The first helicopter he designed was damaged during a test flight; however, Sikorsky managed to persuade his investors to continue investing in him. With those funds backing him, he created the S-29. It can be attributed to the performance of the S-29, a twin-engine airplane, that Igor’s company was on its way to aeronautic success.
Igor became an American citizen in 1928 and began designing not only planes but helicopters as well. On September 14, 1939, the Vought-Sikorsky VS-300 helicopter flew for the first time, although it was tethered. The accomplishment of the VS-300 catapulted into the R-4, the first mass-produced helicopter the world had ever seen. And Igor’s VS-300 rotor setup set the standard for helicopters to come. Today, the majority of helicopters use the same configurations.
Igor Sikorsky passed away on October 26, 1972 while laying in his home in Connecticut. However, his legacy still lives today. Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation based in Connecticut continues to be one of the world leaders in developing rotorcraft. Sikorsky has a deep history and has done much for the development of helicopters, and owns a long list of records:
1912: first Russian aircraft that has the ability to loop
1913: first airplane powered by four engines
1916: the largest plane ever manufactured
1924: first twin-engine airplane that could fly on one engine if needed
1931: the largest airliner ever created.
1936: the altitude record
1937: commercial aircraft with the greatest range
1939: first helicopter with a single main rotor to work successfully
1944: first helicopter rescue while in combat
1945: first helicopter to rescue a civilian
1949: first helicopter rescue in the Navy
1949: first helicopter with the ability to fly in a loop
1952: first helicopter to fly across the Atlantic Ocean
1953: first helicopter to have a primary rotor with five blades
1957: first helicopter designed for the President of the United States
1961: first helicopter to recover astronauts
1962: first helicopter that can fly greater than 200 mph
The accomplishments on Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation’s résumé speak for themselves. The excellence in which Igor performed is still being practiced today, yet, there was one achievement that gave Igor a tremendous amount of joy: the use of helicopters as rescue vehicles. Today, over 1,000,000 people have been given a second chance at life because of a helicopter and that number continues to grow steadily.
Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation’s fingerprints can clearly be seen on the early development of helicopters, and it continues to be a major contributor even today.
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Bill Thompson | Jul 8, 2009 | Reply
Nice Site! I see you have the 1st loop listed on your tribute to Sikorsky. My Dad was the pilot and I have posted the video on utube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xhRUGKa_ImY
Enjoy it.
John Kean | Jul 8, 2009 | Reply
Bill
Thanks for the comment we are trying to build asite that helicopter pilots can tell their story or reviews on choppers. In a nut shell anything to do with helicopters.
Your old man was balsy, that would of taken a lot of guts.
At what age did he stop flying
Keanie
Konstantin | May 31, 2011 | Reply
Great video!
Quite an achievement! As a helicopter private pilot I understand how such things feel… OH YES! Very impressive when you do piloting with aerobatic elements.
From my personal experience I can say that a 90 degree bank is quite OK for a helicopter, though in almost all flight manuals you shall find a limitation of 60… Safety first.
Then they can spin around a spot on the ground forming something psychologically feeling like a tornado!
because only serious military machines have armor plating – its you behind a glass and the enemy can still predict your trajectory if you are not careful and not acting fast and unpredictably…
wars are for soldiers..
You sit inside, press any pedal – depending on the direction – though only one direction is really more safe – depending on the tail rotor side and direction of its spin. Simultaneously you steer it with the cyclic in a way for the helicopter to be moving on a curved path forming a circle around a spot.. You can go many circles in a row following the same trajectory. Very maneuverable human invention!
For someone on the ground it feels like being in a storm – it spins fast and raises dust with wind at low altitude. This maneuver is for machine gun operation: you never lose sight of your target – the barrel exactly points where you want it, at the same time the aircraft is moving very fast, not so easy to hit from the ground especially when it raised dust and gained some altitude perfectly seeing the enemy. Launch a few unguided 80 (Russian) or 70 (USA) mm rockets from pods – and the job is done, even a 23 (R), 30 (R) or 20 (USA) mm round is very powerful. Never try this
A great maneuver for fun and sport
Then there is this “turn from a hill” – the crown jewel of helicopter maneuvers (after hovering) – at least I think so.
is to climb and drop airspeed FAST. Or there are no walls but the enemy is below you, you have just engaged the target in a narrow canyon and are now showing your tail! Just a climb and a turn – you are again facing your adversary with good altitude and precisely on the same path you have just tried and passed successfully – a BIG advantage in the mountains. You attack again… Being absolutely unpredictable to an unprepared enemy (if they see it for the first time).
One pilot called it a “split S” meaning the way it is performed. I do not really like this name: I want my ass wHole in one piece
You start level flight with 100 knots and pull the cyclic sharply but calmly without rolls, just with a steep climb. Once you lose airspeed to about 30-40 knots with your back PARALLEL to the ground, you do a pedal turn (!) with now your face looking directly down or almost down – no loops, danger of mast bumping, the rotor MUST be loaded all the time – no low G maneuvering. Important – put the cyclic in the position corresponding with your direction of pitch – forward out of backwards, otherwise you have just climbed and that’s it! You are to return by the same path as you went up! IF THE ROTOR WAS WELL LOADED you would not bump the mast (especially dangerous on Robinsons and Jet Rangers) and the pedal turn here is a cheat on this natural phenomenon of weightlesness – works fine.
Then you dive down reaching your previous airspeed of 100 knots.
I have personally done this around 10-15 times in R44s Raven I and II. Maybe the explanation is not totally understandable – not too dangerous but there are precautions. I got a little afraid myself when I’ve read what I wrote!
Anyway -this is a military maneuver to be performed with different rotor systems. 3,4,5 and more blades substantially decrease this mast bumping effect of 2 blade helicopters.
For flight in canyons and in the mountains. You fly in a canyon with 2 walls – no rolls. Then a wall grows in front of you!!! Your only chance
This is thrilling and fun – but take care!
Hovering is great – it is the helicopters main ability!!! Fantastic.
Great site – I wish to write more but have no time for it now
Take care. Fly responsibly and safely. My instructors are former Russian military pilots… If you want something of the kind – find professionals and proper aircraft. I know that someone will definitely criticize me here. But this comes from personal experience and I do normal flying too