Sikorsky Archives
"First in the Air"

Igor Sikorsky, Sikorsky Aircraft and its products have compiled an impressive list of "Aviation Firsts" over the years. Some of the more significant achievements are listed below, however this list is not to date:

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."

• 1910 S-2, Igor Sikorsky Flew for the First time

• 1911 S-5, Igor's First pilot license issued from the Imperial Aero Club of Russia

• 1912 S-6A won First place in the Moscow Aircraft Competition, pilot Igor Sikorsky

• 1913 S-9 First monocoque fuselage constructed in Russia

• 1913 S-10 establish a Russian Aviation Record flying 500 kilometers in 4 hrs and 56 min

• 1913 S-12 First Russian designed aircraft capable of a loop

• 1913 S-12 Established a Russian Altitude Record of 3,680m

• 1913 Igor Sikorsky flew the S-21 "Grand" the World's First successful four-engine plane

• 1913 S-21 set a World's Record for duration and literally set one World's Record after another for a four-engine plane with each fligh

• 1913 S-10 & S-11 won First and Second place in the Petrograd Military Competition

• 1914 S-27 set two World Records for payload and flight duration

• 1914 S-27 with pontoons was the largest seaplane built in the World

• 1916 S-27G with 880 horsepower was the largest plane produced in the World

• 1923 Igor founded his Sikorsky Aero Engineering Corporation

• 1924 S-29A the First twin-engine airplane capable of flying on one engine and First all metal aircraft

• 1925 S-29A the World's First airplane to broadcast a radio musical program in-flight

• 1926 S-29A the World's First airplane to show a motion picture in-flight

• 1929 S-37 First airplane to fly over the Andes Mountains

• 1929 S-38 extensively used in pioneering Central and South American air routes by Pan American Airways

• 1929 S-38 Piloted by Charles Lindbergh inaugurated air mail service between the United States and the Panama

• 1931 S-40 "American Clipper" was the Worlds largest airliner produced

• 1934 S-42 First production aircraft with wing flaps which allowed high flight speeds and low landing speeds.

• 1934 S-42 Established ten World Records, of which eight were set on one flight. This flight of August 1st vaulted the United States into First place holder of World Aviation Records

• 1935 S-42 inaugurated the First transoceanic air service, flying the first airmail from Honolulu to the mainland.

• 1937 S-42 made the First regular airline crossing of the North Atlantic Ocean and pioneered the transpacific route to Asi

• 1936 S-43 Established four World Altitude Records

• 1937 S-44 is the World's longest-range commercial aircraft. Only aircraft to have flown commercial scheduled non-stop across the north and south Atlantic. This was the last fixed-wing aircraft built by Sikorsky

• 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 Igor Sikorsky's book, The Message of the Lord's Prayer, appears in print

• 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

• 1964 S-65 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)

bySepe