Igor Sikorsky a Russian born scientist, engineer, pilot and entrepreneur.
Of Early Aviation – Igor Sikorsky
“We were ignorant, and we were ignorant of the fact that we were ignorant! This was ignorance squared, and it often led to disaster.”
1909 H-1, Igor constructed his First helicopter “This machine was a failure to the extent that it could not fly. In other respects it was a very important and necessary stepping stone.”
Sikorsky, Igor I. Patent Number 1,994,488 – Direct Lift Aircraft. 1994488. Nichols, CT, issued March 19, 1935. View the PDF of Igor’s Direct lift Aircraft drawings
The years in-between his focus was on fixed wing flying and many notable records.
1939 VS-300 First single main rotor helicopter successfully produced in the World and literally set one World’s Record after another with each flight .
1940 Igor Sikorsky is awarded Connecticut Helicopter License No. 1 1941 VS-300 breaks the World helicopter endurance record, 1 hour, 32 minutes and 26.1 seconds
1941 VS-300 fitted with rubber floats was the World’s First practical amphibian helicopter
1942 XR-4 World’s First production helicopter is delivered and this is the first cross-country flight of a helicopter in the United States
1943 R-4 First mass produced helicopter
1943 R-4 First helicopter to land on a ship – Bunker Hill
1944 XR-4 First helicopter Mercy Mission piloted by Commander Frank Erickson
1944 R-4 First Combat Rescue using a helicopter piloted by Lieutenant Carter Harman
1945 R-5 First helicopter equipped with armament
1945 S-51 First Civilian Rescue using a helicopter piloted by Dimity “Jimmy” Viner
1945 R-4 is the only helicopter to serve in World War II
1947 S-51 piloted by Jimmy Viner performed the First Navel Rescue
1947 S-51 Los Angeles Airways started the World’s First helicopter airmail service
1948 S-51 First amphibious assault with a helicopter
1949 S-52 established a World Helicopter Speed Record of 129.5 mph
1949 S-52 First helicopter to perform a loop
1949 S-52 World’s first production helicopter with metal rotor blades
1950 S-51 First helicopter to be equipped with a three-axis automatic flight-control system
1950 S-51 first helicopter to be air-towed by an airplane
1950 S-51 holds all the World recognized international helicopter records
1951 S-55 First helicopter to retrieve an aircraft
1952 S-55 First anti-submarine warfare helicopter
1952 S-55 First helicopter to fly across the Atlantic Ocean establishing a World Record
1952 S-55 First helicopter equipped with pre-tracked interchangeable rotor blades
1953 S-56 established World Speed and Altitude Records
1953 S-55 is the only transport-type helicopter certified by the Civil Aeronautics Administration for commercial operations
1953 S-56 First helicopter with a five-blade main rotor
1953 S-56 First helicopter with automatic blade and tail folding
1953 S-56 First helicopter with power-operated loading
1953 S-52 First turbine-powered helicopter
1954 S-59 with turbine powered set a World’s speed record of 156.005 mph and a World’s altitude record of 24,500 feet
1955 S-56 First production twin-engine helicopter
1955 S-56 First radar equipped helicopter
1956 S-58 First helicopter approved by Navy for instrument flight rating
1956 S-58 First helicopter to use an automatic flight control system
1956 S-58 First helicopter with automatic hover positioning system
1957 S-58 was used by President Eisenhower to become the First American President to use a helicopter built specifically for his needs
1958 S-62 First helicopter with a amphibious hull
1958 S-61 First helicopter with energy-absorbing landing gear
1958 S-61 First helicopter CAA certified for automatic stabilization
1958 S-61 First helicopter with dipping sonar
1959 S-58 The First helicopter to be used for power-line construction
1959 S-60 First helicopter with aft-facing control station
1959 S-61 World’s largest amphibious helicopter
1959 S-61 First helicopter that could both search out and destroy enemy submarines
1960 S-62 made Los Angeles Airways the First carrier in the World to use a turbine engine helicopter
1960 S-58 was the First helicopter to fire a radio-controlled missile
1960 S-61L First helicopter designed specifically for airline use
1960 S-55 First aerial recovery by helicopter of parachute
1961 S-58 First helicopter to retrieve an U.S. astronaut, Commander Alan Shephard, America’s First man in space
1961 S-61L was the World’s First Multi-turbine helicopter certified for passenger transport
1961 S-61 made the fastest helicopter crossing of the country (average speed of 150 mph)
1962 S-61 established a World helicopter speed record of 210.65 mph, This was the First time a helicopter traveled faster than 200 mph on a established course
1962 S-61 established five helicopter World Speed Records
1962 S-64 First production flying crane helicopter
1962 S-64 First production helicopter with aft-facing control station
1962 S-64 First helicopter with a fly-by-wire control system
1962 S-64 First six-blade main rotor.
1964 S-65 First helicopter with a suction fuel system
1964 S-65 First helicopter with a collective bias-droop compensation control
1965 RH-53D First production mine-countermeasures helicopter
1965 S-61F First experimental compound helicopter with a full complement of aircraft control surfaces
1965 S-61 First aerial refueling of a helicopter from a standard tanker airplane
1965 S-61 Rotor-Prop First helicopter to demonstrate conversion of tail rotor to propeller
1965 S-61 made the First nonstop, transcontinental, flight setting a World’s record for distance of 2,105 miles
1965 S-61N made the First transatlantic crossing by a commercial helicopter
1965 S-64 claimed three World’s Altitude Records
1966 S-64 First helicopter with engine inlet particle separator
1968 S-65 First large helicopter to loop and roll
1968 S-65 First titanium-spar rotor blade
1969 S-65 First helicopter with an infrared suppressor system
1970 S-65 First helicopter transpacific crossing
1970 S-67 First prototype gunship with wings and dive brakes
1970 S-67 set a World Speed Record
1970 S-67 First helicopter with swept-tip rotor blades
1971 S-70 First helicopter with a canted tail rotor
1973 S-69 First to fly the Advancing Blade Concept (ABC)
1973 S-70 First successful flight of an all composite, bearingless tail rotor
1973 CH-53E First three-engine helicopter
1973 CH-53E First seven-blade main rotor helicopter
1977 S-76 First helicopter designed for civil transportation
1980 S-70 first helicopter qualified to fly into know moderate icing conditions
1984 S-75 First all-composite airframe (ACAP)
1985 First helicopter with single-pilot research cockpit, fly-by-wire, sidearm controls, voice interaction (SHADOW)