Sikorsky R-4

Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation · United States · first flew 1942 · helicopter

The Sikorsky R-4 was the world's first production helicopter and the first helicopter to enter operational military service, used by the US Army Air Forces and Navy during World War Two.

Recognition (WEFT)

W — Wings	High-mounted, rotary
E — Engines	1 × piston, fuselage-mounted
F — Fuselage	Fabric-covered fuselage with distinctive side-by-side enclosed cockpit
T — Tail	Conventional

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World's first production helicopter
Three-blade main rotor with anti-torque tail rotor
Fabric-covered fuselage with distinctive side-by-side enclosed cockpit

Small helicopter with a bulbous, glazed side-by-side cockpit pod, fabric-covered tail boom, three-blade main rotor, and single anti-torque tail rotor; the round cockpit and fabric fuselage are immediately distinctive.

Specifications

The Sikorsky R-4 has a length of 14.7 m (48 ft).
It has a wingspan of 11.6 m (38 ft).
Its maximum speed is 130 km/h (81 mph).
Typical crew: 2.

Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.

History

Developed from Igor Sikorsky's VS-300 prototype, the R-4 entered production in 1942 and achieved the first operational helicopter rescue in May 1944 when an R-4 evacuated casualties in Burma. Over 130 were built, establishing rotary-wing aviation as a practical military capability.

Variants

XR-4 prototype; YR-4A/B service test aircraft; R-4B production variant; British equivalents designated Hoverfly I by the RAF and Royal Navy.

Where you'll see it

Served with the USAAF, US Navy, and British forces; the RAF and Royal Navy used it as the Hoverfly I for training and experimental operations.

Related aircraft

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