Sikorsky R-6
| Sikorsky R-6 | |
|---|---|
|
|
| Type: | Light helicopter |
| Design country: | |
| Manufacturer: | |
| First flight: |
October 15, 1943 |
| Commissioning: |
1945 |
| Number of pieces: |
225 |
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The Sikorsky R-6 (factory designation: S-49 or Model 49 ) was a light two-seat all-metal helicopter made by the American Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation . In the Royal Air Force (RAF) the R-6 was called the Hoverfly II .
development
The R-6 was a further development of the Sikorsky R-4 . In order to achieve a higher speed, the fuselage was completely redesigned, the boom was lengthened and straightened and the tail rotor was enlarged. The main rotor and gearbox of the R-4 were retained. Sikorsky named the new design Model 49 . Later, the R-6 modifications received for a dynamically more balanced rotor, they have been of Doman Helicopters Inc. executed. The new machine was so fast 154 km / h, while the previous version reached 132 km / h.
The prototypes and pre-series models were built by Sikorsky, but the production model was made by Nash-Kelvinator . Some of the later produced helicopters were equipped with more powerful engines.
Commissioning
The first R-6s were handed over to the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) and the United States Navy (USN) at the end of 1944 . Initially it was planned to hand over 150 R-6s to the British RAF, but after delays at the manufacturer Sikorsky in Stratford (Connecticut) , production was outsourced to Nash-Kelvinator in Detroit (Michigan). In the end, only 27 R-6A could be delivered to the RAF as Hoverfly II . 15 of these were delivered to the Royal Navys Fleet Air Arm (FAA). The cost of a US Coast Guard HOS-1 was $ 59,450.
Some RAF helicopters became No. 657 Squadron assigned to test the suitability of the helicopters for the needs of the Army; Two of these could be equipped with external stretchers. The No. 657 Squadron used the Hoverfly II as an air observation post for Army artillery units.
The Hoverfly II remained in use until April 1951; one of the RAF specimens was exhibited at the Farnborough Air Show in September 1950.
The FAA used their Hoverfly II in the training and liaison role . Naval units, including the 771st Naval Air Squadron , used the type from December 1945, followed by the 705th Naval Air Squadron .
In the USAAF, the R-6 played only a minor role and the remaining specimens were renamed H-6A in 1948 . The USN R-6 were given the designation HOS-1 ; another 64 should be taken over by the USAAF, but this did not happen.
Surplus copies of the military Model 49 were sold to civilian operators in the late 1940s, but none of them are in operation today. Four R-6s are currently on display in US museums.
variants
- XR-6
A prototype, with a 225-WPS Motor Franklin O-435 -7
- XR-6A
Five pre-production models built by Sikorsky; like XR-6 but with a 240 WPS Franklin O- 405-9 motor , three of which were carried by the US Navy as XHOS-1
- YR-6A
Like XR-6A but with minor changes (26), produced by Nash-Kelvinator
- R-6A
Production model, 219 were built by Nash-Kelvinator; 36 went to the US Navy (later taken over and returned by the US Coast Guard) as HOS-1 and 27 to the RAF as Hoverfly II
- R-6B
Projected variant with a 225 WPS motor O-435-7 (not built).
- XR-7
Projected further development of the XR-6 with a 240 WPS engine O-405-9 (also not built).
production
Acceptance of the R-6 by the USAAF:
| Manufacturer | 1944 | 1945 | TOTAL |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sikorsky, Stratford | 3 | 2 | 5 |
| Nash, Detroit | 5 | 214 | 219 |
| TOTAL | 8th | 216 | 224 |
Preserved copies of the R-6A
(Data from Ogden, 2007)
- Alabama , United States Army Aviation Museum , Fort Rucker 43-45473
- Connecticut , New England Air Museum , Windsor Locks 43-45480
- Ohio , National Museum of the United States Air Force , Dayton , 43-45379
- Pennsylvania , American Helicopter Museum and Educational Center , West Chester , 43-45531
Military users
Technical specifications
- Sikorsky R-6A
| Parameter | Data |
|---|---|
| crew | 1 + 1 |
| length | 14.33 m |
| Main rotor | 11.58 m (diameter) |
| Take-off weight | 1315 kg |
| drive | 1 × Franklin 0-405-9 piston engine |
| power | 235 WPS |
| Top speed | 154 km / h |
| Cruising speed | 111 km / h |
| Max. Altitude | 3048 m |
| Range | 490 km |
literature
- Phil Butler: Air Arsenal North America . Midland Publishing, 2004, ISBN 1-85780-163-6 .
- Bob Ogden: Aviation Museums and Collections of North America . Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd, 2007, ISBN 0-85130-385-4 .
- FG Swanborough: United States Military Aircraft since 1909 . Putnam & Company Ltd, 1963, ISBN none.
- Owen Thetford: Aircraft of the Royal Air Force since 1918 . Putnam & Company Ltd, 1976, ISBN 0-370-10056-5 .
- Owen Thetford: British Naval Aircraft since 1912 . Putnam & Company Ltd, 1977, ISBN 0-370-30021-1 .
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ Swanborough (1963), 529
- ^ Butler, 2004, p. 278
- ^ Thetford, 1977, p. 422
- ^ Scott Price: US Coast Guard Aviation History. (PDF; 321 kB) United States Cost Guard, November 5, 2008, accessed September 6, 2010 .
- ^ Thetford, 1976, p. 603
- ↑ Ogden, 2007, page 602
- ↑ a b Sikorsky R-6A Hoverfly II. (No longer available online.) National Museum of the Air Force, archived from the original on August 2, 2010 ; accessed on September 6, 2010 (English). Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ Statistical Digest of the USAF 1946, p. 100 ff.
