Sikorsky S-51 Dragonfly

Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation · United States · first flew 1943 · helicopter

The Sikorsky S-51 was an early American utility helicopter representing a significant advance on the experimental R-4 and R-5, offering genuine four-seat capability for the first time in a practical helicopter. It entered both military and civil service.

Recognition (WEFT)

W — Wings	High-mounted, rotary
E — Engines	1 × piston, fuselage-mounted
F — Fuselage	12.8 m fuselage
T — Tail	Conventional

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Early Sikorsky four-seat utility helicopter, 1943
Three-blade main rotor with anti-torque tail rotor
Greenhouse canopy with side-by-side front seats

An early Sikorsky single-rotor design with a well-glazed greenhouse canopy and a four-cylinder radial engine in an oval fuselage. The three-bladed main rotor and slender tail boom with a small two-bladed tail rotor are characteristic.

Specifications

The Sikorsky S-51 Dragonfly has a length of 12.8 m (42 ft).
It has a wingspan of 14.9 m (49 ft).
Its maximum speed is 167 km/h (104 mph).
Typical crew: 1.

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

History

Derived from the R-5 experimental helicopter, the S-51 first flew in 1943 and entered US military service as the H-5. It performed early medevac and rescue missions in the late stages of World War II and in Korea, pioneering combat search and rescue.

Variants

The Westland-built Dragonfly was a licence-built version for the Royal Navy and RAF, differing in engine and equipment details. The H-5 was the US Army Air Forces designation.

Where you'll see it

The S-51 served with the USAF, US Navy, and US Army, and the Westland Dragonfly served with the Royal Navy and RAF in the late 1940s and early 1950s in liaison, plane-guard, and rescue roles.

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