Sikorsky R-4
| Sikorsky R-4 | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Comdr. Frank A. Erickson, USCG, and Dr. Igor Sikorsky on August 14, 1944 in an R-4 |
|
| Type: | Light helicopter |
| Design country: | |
| Manufacturer: | |
| First flight: |
January 14, 1942 |
| Production time: |
1942 to 1944 |
| Number of pieces: |
131 |
The Sikorsky R-4 was a helicopter developed and used in the 1940s by the US manufacturer Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation . The R-4 was both the first series-produced helicopter in the United States and the first model helicopter used by the United States Armed Forces .
Development and testing
The VS-300 helicopter served as the basis for the development of the military prototype XR-4 . The VS-300 was also designed by Igor Sikorski and was first demonstrated to the public in 1940.
The XR-4 (manufacturer designation: VS-316A) had its first flight on January 13, 1942. After the successful flight tests, the United States Army Air Forces ordered three YR-4As and 27 YR-4Bs for field testing and flight training. Of the 30 aircraft ordered, one each was given to Burma and the state of Alaska . Further aircraft were assigned to the US Navy , US Coast Guard (each referred to as HNS-1) and the British Navy (which led the helicopter under the name Hoverfly I). 100 of the serial version R-4B were produced, 20 of them for the US Navy and 45 for the British Royal Air Force (RAF).
In 1943, the XR-4 received a larger main rotor and a more powerful Warner R-550 engine instead of the Warner R-500 and thus the new designation XR-4C.
From January 6 to 21, 1944, the general cargo ship MV Daghestan carried a Sikorsky R-4 with the convoy HX 274 . This was, still unarmed, extensively tested during the transfer. This Hoverfly I was one of the first seven US helicopters to be transported to England (two ex YR-4A and five ex YR-4B).
The US Army Air Force's R-4 designation was changed to H-4 through a new designation system in 1948 .
production
Acceptance of the R-4 by the USAAF:
| Manufacturer | 1942 | 1943 | 1944 | TOTAL |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sikorsky, Stratford | 1 | 14th | 115 | 130 |
The R-4 in museums
- National Museum of the United States Air Force ( Wright-Patterson AFB near Dayton , Ohio )
- Royal Air Force Museum ( Hendon / England)
- Canada Aviation and Space Museum ( Ottawa / Canada)
Military users
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Technical specifications
| Parameter | Data R-4C |
|---|---|
| Rotor diameter | 11.5 m |
| length | 10.2 m |
| height | 3.8 m |
| Maximum permissible total weight | 1,170 kg |
| Engine | Warner R-550 with 149 kW |
| Top speed | 120 km / h |
| Marching speed | 105 km / h |
| Floating peak height | 2,400 m |
| crew | 2 |
See also
literature
- René Francillon: Hoverfly - The Sikorsky R-4 Story . In: AIR International December 1992, pp. 321–328
Web links
- Sikorsky R-4 page at the National Museum of the United States Air Force
- Army helicopter Sikorsky R-4 on www.eichhorn.ws
- Sikorsky R-4B Hoverfly I photo gallery
- Sikorsky R-4 as a large model on a scale of 1: 11 in the Bückeburg helicopter museum
Individual evidence
- ↑ Jürgen Rohwer , Gerhard Hümmelchen : Chronik des Maritime War 1939–1945, January 1944 , accessed on November 17, 2012
- ↑ René Francillon, 1992, p. 326
- ↑ Statistical Digest of the USAF 1946, p. 100 ff.
