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OCR for page 253
IGOR IVAN SIKORSKY
1889-1972
BY (CELLOS (I. WOOD
RIGOR IVAN SIKORSKY died fin October 26, 1972, in Easton, Con-
necticut. When he was born in Kiev, Russia, on May 25, 1889,
Dr. I. A. Sikorsky Professor of' Philosophy in the St. Vladimir
University of Kiev) and his wife welcomed a new addition to a
family already comprised of' three daughters and a son.
Professor Sikorsky and his wife were cultured in the true sense of'
the word, being interested in the great works of the past across a
broad spectrum, working hard (and eff'ectively) to advance the
scientific and human work of' the time, and imbuing young people
with knowledge and drive for efforts in the I'uture. This formed
the base of Igor Sikorsky's upbringing.
One of' the earliest recollections of' Igor Sikorsky dealt with his
mother. She received an education in a medical college, but
motherhood prevented her continuation of' scientific work. Before
Igor was born, she was much absorbed with the life and work of'
Leonardo da Vinci, who among all his other activities was among
the first to study flying and to produce preliminary designs and
sketches of wings. Young Igor was told by his mother of' Leonardo
da Vinci's attempts to design a flying machine. Even at an early age
Igor was so interested in flying that he never forgot this inf'orma-
tion and continued to ask his family, and others he considered
competent, questions about flight. It is obvious that this was a great
determinant to Igor's later career.
Professor Sikorsky worked long hours as an active physician,
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OCR for page 254
lecturing at the University and continuing his scientific research
and writing at home. For relief from these efforts, it became his
habit to journey abroad each year for several weeks, during which
he studied scientific subjects, visited galleries and libraries, and
purchased more books. During his lifetime he accumulated a
personal library of some 12,000 volumes.
In 1900 he was accompanied on one of these trips by his
youngest son, Igor. They spent the summer in the German Tyrol.
As a result of conversations with his father at that time, at the age of
eleven Igor Sikorsky was introduced to the natural sciences, par-
ticularly mechanics and astronomy, which remained of great inter-
est to him for the remainder of his life.
Thus started, for the next few years Igor investigated many
things in the natural science area. He made electric batteries. He
built a small electric motor. Becoming interested in chemistry, he
even made a bomb (successfully exploded in a hole in the family
garden). He tried repeatedly to make flying models, and finally in
1901 he succeeded in making a model of a rubber-powered
helicopter that could actually rise in the air!
In 1903, fourteen-year-old Igor Sikorsky entered the Naval
Academy in Petrograd. He spent three years there, completing the
general course. He finally decided that his real work would be in
the field of creative engineering, and he couldn't get the flying
machine out of his mind. Such a machine appeared to be impossi-
ble at the time, but he decided to enter actively into the study of
engineering. Accordingly, although in good standing, he resigned
from the Naval Academy in 1906 at the age of seventeen.
The abortive 1906 Revolution in Russia seriously disrupted
academic work in that country, so Igor spent several months in
Paris studying engineering. By 1907 the Russian situation had
improved, so he returned to Russia and entered the Polytechnic
Institute of Kiev in the fall, at the age of eighteen.
During his first academic year at the Institute, Igor Sikorsky was
reasonably successful as a student, but was not particularly in-
terested in theoretical studies or higher mathematics, as they
seemed somewhat afield from actual work. Living at home, he still
worked in his small workshop and laboratory, where he built and
experimented with mechanical devices.
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In the summer of 1908, Igor again went to Germany with his
father. While there he read almost daily of the {lights of Count
Zeppelin in one of his early dirigibles. Also, and of far greater
importance, for the first time he read of the successful flights of the
Wright brothers. Whereas before this time all preponderant in-
formation was that powered flight of heavier-than-air machines
appeared to be impossible, the success of the Wright brothers
changed the whole picture. Thus, well-knowing that many people
had spent much time, capability, and money unsuccessfully trying
to design flying machines in the past, Igor Sikorsky, at the age of
nineteen, decided to hitch his life to the aviation star.
Thus, during his summer vacation in 1908, in the room of a
small hotel in Germany, Igor Ivanovitch Sikorsky began his first
steady work in aeronautics. This work would occupy him until his
death, sixty-four years later.
After some months of study and building of experimental ap-
paratus at home in Kiev, Igor went to Paris with the good wishes of
his father and the financial support of his sister Olga to extend his
formal and informal aeronautics education and to buy a twenty-
five horse power Anzani engine plus some parts for the aircraft he
was planning to build.
Against the advice of what aeronautical experts there were at the
time, Igor Sikorsky had decided to build a helicopter as his first
flying machine. Construction started in May 1909, and the machine
was completed and tests began in July. Mechanical dynamics prob-
lems were solved satisfactorily, and some solutions were found to
dynamic control problems. However, unfortunately the machine
would not lift its own weight, and some basic control problems
remained. When this became apparent, Igor gave up the thought
of flying this particular machine and instead obtained all possible
technical and operating information from the machine before
disassembly in October.
Design work had been proceeding on a second helicopter in the
interim, but construction was delayed until after another trip to
Paris to obtain more aeronautical information, engines, and to have
some parts made. At this time Igor saw the Wright airplane in
flight for the first time. Construction of the airplane was also
considered at this time.
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In February 1910 construction of a second helicopter was started
and also of an airplane, the S-1. The early spring of 1910 saw
completion of the second helicopter. It worked better than the first
one, but appeared marginal in performance. Accordingly, effort
was concentrated on completion of the S-1 airplane, which was
fielded for tests in April 1910.
Igor found that the S-1 (after he taught himself to fly it) could
barely fly in ground effect the fifteen horse power Anzani was too
small. Accordingly, a twenty-five horse power engine was installed,
other logical changes were made, and in tune 1910 the S-2 was
completed. It first left the ground on June 3 and cracked up in an
accident on June 30. It was determined that the installed power was
minimal to permit level {light out of ground effect. But, Igor
Sikorsky had flown in an airplane of his own design!
More changes, more power the S-3. Then the S-4 and the
S-5 both completed in April 1 9 11. The higher-powered and
larger S-5 appeared more promising, and at the end of April its
tests started. On May 17 full flight was accomplished, and by
mid-summer 1911 one-hour flights at 1,000 feet altitude were
accomplished. Success!
In the fall of 1911 Igor Sikorsky was issued FAl pilot license No.
64 by the Imperial Aero Club of Russia.
Construction of the 100 horse power S-6 started in August 19 1 1,
and it was flown in November. Necessary improvements were
made to result in the S-6-A, which was flown at the end of the year
and proved capable of beating the existing world's speed record
with a pilot and two passengers aboard at 113 kilometers per hour.
The S-6-A received the highest award in the Moscow aircraft
exhibition in February 1912.
In the spring of 1912 Igor Sikorsky entered into an agreement
with the Russian Baltic Railroad Car Factory in Petrograd as
Designer and Chief Engineer of the aircraft factory of the com-
pany, on very favorable terms.
During 1912 the S-6-B two-place biplane, S-7 two-place mono-
plane, and the smaller S-8 training plane were built. In September
the S-6-B won a Russian army competition against many other
competitors, with a cash prize and orders for some aircraft.
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For some time Igor Sikorsky had been thinking about and doing
preliminary design work on a large four-engined airplane. This
was at a time when the experts were sure that a large aircraft would
not be feasible and that control of four engines was not possible.
On September 17, 1912, the Chairman of the organization that
Igor had joined asked him to proceed on this large four-engine
airplane.
On May 13, 1913, the "Grand" flew for the first time, complete
with its closed cabin and its outdoor nose balcony. Thus was born
the large multiengined type of aircraft. Other Sikorsky-designed
aircraft, the S-10 and S-11, won the Russian military competition in
1913.
An improved four-engined airplane, the "Ilia Mourometz," was
started in August 1913. It had a wing span of 102 feet, a wing area
about 1,700 square feet, and a gross weight over 10,000 pounds.
Quite an airplane for the time, it was flown in January 1914. On
June 18, 1914, a world's record was set for flight duration of six
hours and thirty-three minutes with pilot and six passengers. This
was just prior to the outbreak of World War 1.
During World War I about seventy-five of these four-engined
airplanes were delivered as bombers. A total of about 400 raids
were made, with only one plane lost due to enemy action.
All work was stopped by the Revolution in the spring of 1917.
Finally making up his mind, Igor Sikorsky left Russia in March
1918, taking with him a few hundred English pounds, and leaving
behind the substantial investments resulting from his several years
of intensive and successful work.
He went to Paris via London. In Paris he was asked to design a
heavy bomber for the French. Plans were completed in August
1918. During the fall, preparations for starting construction were
made. When the Armistice was signed in November 1918, work
was stopped.
Because of curtailments in aviation, Igor decided to emigrate to
the United States and start over. He landed in New York City on
March 30, 1919.
The next few years held many disappointments for Igor
Sikorsky. The aviation business in the United States was demobiliz-
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OCR for page 258
ing from the expansion of World War I, and essentially no new
work was available. During the summer of 1919 Igor did organize a
company and started preliminary engineering work, but the com-
pany was disbanded before start of any construction. In the fall of
1919 he visited Washington and McCook Field in Dayton, where he
spent six weeks working on the preliminary design of a large
three-engined bomber for the Army Air Service. Igor returned to
New York early in 1920 and unsuccessfully made several more
attempts to reenter aviation in the next several months. Late in the
fall of 1920, in order to obtain some income, he started teaching
mathematics to Russian immigrants. Soon after, he began to give
lectures on aviation and on astronomy. With these activities he was
able to support himself.
These efforts took time mostly in the evening and on weekends.
So, in the remaining available time, Igor turned again to designs
for commercial airplanes. But up to 1922 it was not possible either
to obtain a position with existing aviation concerns or to finance a
company by normal methods. But all of these efforts were bringing
Igor Sikorsky into contact with many people who offered either to
subscribe small amounts or to assist as workers in an aviation
endeavor. Accordingly, on March 5, 1923, a new company was
incorporated as "Sikorsky Aero Engineering Corporation." The
aims were to collect as many subscriptions as possible and to start as
soon as possible on the construction of an all-metal, twin-engined,
passenger transport plane the S-29-A (A for America).
Work was started at a time when only $1,000 in cash had been
received. After months of literally living from hand to mouth, with
little or no pay for the workers, the S-29-A was first flown on May
4,1924. Too many people crowded aboard on this first flight, and a
forced landing on a nearby golf course badly damaged the
airplane. This seemed the end.
But more money was raised, more effort expended, and on
September 25, 1924, the repaired, reengined S-29-A was success-
fully flown. It could fly on one engine, could carry fourteen
passengers, and could cruise at 100 miles per hour. It proved the
practicability of twin-engined commercial transports. Many people
were given their first rides in this airplane. In 1926 it was sold to
Roscoe Turner, who used it successfully for several more years.
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In the meantime other efforts were being made, including the
design of the S-34 twin-engined amphibian. It did not turn out to
be practical, but furnished valuable experience and information,
which was used later.
In the spring of 1926 work was started on the three-engined S-35
for a New York to Paris flight by the French Captain Rene Fonck.
With insufficient time for testing, and under pressure of publicity,
this airplane crashed on the attempted trans-Atlantic takeoff on
September 21, 1926. This again put the Sikorsky company in bad
shape financially, but help from New England friends permitted it
to continue.
By the end of 1926 work was proceeding on the twin-engined
S-37 for Captain Fonck to try again. By the spring of 1927 the S-37
was successfully flown and shown to be entirely suitable for the
transatlantic {light.
On May 21, 1927, Charles Lindbergh made his remarkable solo
flight across the Atlantic. This was to have a great, favorable, and
long-term influence on aviation in the United States, but it also
removed the most important reason for Captain Fonck's flight and
the S-37 project died. The S-37 eventually was sold, flown to
Argentina, and extensively used to carry passengers across the
Andes.
In the meantime the experience gained from the S-34 amphibian
was being applied to another twin-engined amphibian, the S-36,
which was very satisfactory, and a few aircraft were sold in 1927.
From this experience it was decided to make one more try.
During early 1928 construction of the twin-engined S-38 amphib-
ian was under way. Because of the enthusiasm resulting from the
Lindbergh flight, ten of these ten-seater aircraft were being built.
The S-38 was successfully flown in May 1928 and proved to be an
excellent airplane. Demonstration to the U.S. Navy showed its
performance to be better than any other airplane of its size and
power, and the Navy bought some. Pan American Airways also
bought some and used them to open up the commercial air routes
to South America. Other orders followed. The first ten aircraft
were quickly sold, a second series of ten were also sold in a short
time, and soon the company had more business than it could
handle.
259
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This great increase in business required enlargement of the
factory, so the Sikorsky Manufacturing Corporation was reor-
ganized as the Sikorsky Aviation Corporation, with increased capi-
tal. Land was purchased in Stratford, Connecticut, and a large
modern plant with all necessary facilities was built there during
1929. Also, in 1929 the Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation became first
a subsidiary and later a Division of United Aircraft Corporation.
This latter relationship still exists.
During 1929 and 1930, more than 100 S-38's were built and sold.
The S-38 airplanes were used in the pioneering and operations of
about ten airlines, as well as by many private operators.
About this time Pan American asked for the construction of a
much larger transport airplane. Sikorsky was chosen to produce it.
At this time a personal relationship began between Igor Sikorsky
and Col. Charles Lindbergh (who was an advisor to Pan American)
that continued throughout the remainder of Igor's life. This new
four-engined airplane was known as the S-40 Flying Clipper. It
could carry its normal load of about 4,800 pounds for 700 miles at a
cruising speed of 115 miles per hour. It could carry a payload of
300 pounds for 1,500 miles. The S-40 was completed in the spring
of 1931 and went into Pan American service in late fall 1931.
Pan American really wanted to fly transoceanic, and with the
success of the S-40 attention was turned to development of a
transport airplane for such service. Building on the excellent
characteristics of the S-40, and using all of the latest aeronautical
information, the latest power plants and propellers, and the Pan
American operating experience, plans were made for a true trans-
oceanic flying Clipper the S-42.
The S-42 was designed in 1932, and construction began in 1933.
By the end of the year the airplane was completed, but winter and
ice in the river held up first flight of the S-42 Hying boat until
March 1934. The capability of the S-42 was shown on April 26,
1934, when it carried a load of 16,608 pounds to 16,000 feet
altitude. On May 17 it carried 11,023 pounds to 20,407 feet
altitude. On August 1, 1934, the S-42 set eight more world records
for loads up to 4,409 pounds for distances up to 1,249 miles at
speeds over 157 miles per hour.
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Shortly later the first S-42 was delivered to Pan American and in
the fall of 1934 introduced new air travel that reduced the schedule
time between the United States and Argentina from eight days to
five days.
The second S-42 was equipped with long-range tanks and deliv-
ered to Pan American shortly afterwards. After much testing at
Miami it was flown to San Francisco, from where it made the first
flight to Honolulu on April 17, 1935. Later, another Pan American
S-42 inaugurated the longest over-ocean airline in the world be-
tween San Francisco and New Zealand.
Finally, in July 1937 the first regular airline crossing of the North
Atlantic between the United States and England started. Service
also started to Portugal by the Bermuda-Azores route. Ten S-42's
were built, all for Pan American.
Two additional types of fixed wing airplanes were built. The
twin-engined S-43 amphibian carried fifteen passengers, a crew of
three, and cruised at 160 miles per hour. It first flew on June 1,
1935, and in April 1936 set four world altitude records, one of
24,950 feet with zero payload. Fifty-three were built, with the U.S.
Navy and Pan American being the prime users.
The large four-engined S-44 flying boat won a U.S. Navy compe-
tition and was first flown as the XPBS-1 on August 13, 1937.
Sikorsky lost the production contract on price, but the design was
used in the S-44-A commercial flying boat. This airplane cruised at
about 210 miles per hour and could carry a load of thirty-two
passengers from New York to Rome (4,600 miles) nonstop. Three
aircraft were built and operated during World War II.
Writing in 1938, Igor Sikorsky remarks: "The successful flights
of the S-42 across both major oceans may be considered as conclud-
ing the pioneering period of aviation. They are also to a large
extent the conclusion of the story of the Winged-S.
Thus, with all of his insight, Igor Sikorsky could be wrong. He
was just on the verge of a complete new period of aviation pioneer-
ing. His third aviation career was about ready to start.
The Sikorsky Division had made no money on the S-42 and had
lost money on the S-44. It was necessary to close down the Sikorsky
Division airplane production operations in 1938. But the decision
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was made to keep Igor Sikorsky and his creative technical group
together if they had any ideas of an aircraft development pro-
gram that would warrant such action. Igor Sikorsky did have an
idea, and he sold it to United Aircraft management.
In all of the busy years since 1909, Igor had continued to think
about and make notes on the helicopter. Since 1928 he had been
working informally with a couple of his close associates on ideas.
He told the United Aircraft management that now was the time to
add a new dimension, the vertical, to flying. The United Aircraft
management agreed, and asked Igor, with a few close associates, to
try and do it.
The first effort was the VS-300 helicopter, designed in spring
1939, built during that summer, and first flown (to an altitude of a
few inches) by Igor Sikorsky himself' on September 14, 1939.
It is interesting to note that the VS-300 closely resembled a
helicopter design on which Igor had applied for a patent tune 27,
1931, the patent being granted on March 19, 1935. It had a single
main rotor (three blades) and a tail rotor (two blades). Although
many variations (added rotors, etc.) of this basic main and tail rotor
configuration were tried on the VS-300 (and by others before and
since), the single main and tail rotor configuration was finally
adopted and is still the basic arrangement of all subsequent
Sikorsky helicopters (and many other manufacturers around the
world). It is the configuration of at least ninety percent of' all
helicopters built to date.
Development flights continued until December 9, 1939, when a
gust of wind upset the VS-300 because ot lack ot aircraft control
power, and the VS-300 was badly damaged. The aircraft was
rebuilt in a second configuration, adding two horizontal tail rotors
supported on booms. The revised VS-300 began tethered flight on
March 6, 1940, {few free on May 13, and was demonstrated to the
public on May 20. Igor amazed onlookers by {lying backwards,
sidewards, and even turned on a spot. Igor was presented with
Connecticut Helicopter License No. 1.
Most spectators did not notice that the machine had not flown
forward. Asked about this later, Igor replied, "That is one of the
minor engineering problems that we have not yet solved!" Actually,
262
. . . .. . .. .
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the added horizontal tail rotors had to operate in the turbulent
wake from the main rotor in forward flight, making forward flight
a problem. After adequate main rotor control power was provided,
the two horizontal tail rotors were removed, and the aircraft
performed very well in forward flight.
However, while still in this second configuration, the VS-300
established an American helicopter endurance record of 1 hour, 5
minutes, 14.5 seconds on April 15, 1941, and a world's record of 1
hour, 32 minutes, 26.1 seconds on May 6.
During May 1941 the VS-300 was again modified, removing the
two horizontal tail rotors, increasing cyclic control power on the
main rotor, and installing a single horizontal tad] rotor high on the
machine. This third configuration flew on`June 12, 1941, was
much better than the second configuration, and reached a forward
flight speed of seventy miles per hour. Igor and his people then
knew that they had the makings of a successful helicopter.
Versions of these aircraft can build bridges, install power lines in
inaccessible places, lift and carry outsized articles without regard for
dimensions, operate in construction and logging with no require-
ment for access roads, and can furnish transport literally from
point (with or without landing at either point), in weather where
fixed-wing airplanes cannot operate and even surface movement is
difficult. These machines can find and operate with (or against)
submarines, equipped with automatic hover, automatic navigation;
can lay marine or land mines, or sweep them, in day, at night, or in
almost any weather.
The helicopter has saved many lives, and Igor Sikorsky was
always very proud of this. Many have been saved by rapid transport
of injured people to medical I'acilities, in peace and in war. At least
10,000 lives have been saved by rescue operations from floods, off
of ships in distress, from hurricanes, from behind enemy lines, in
good weather and bad, during day or at night.
Igor Sikorsky long felt that the helicopter can help solve many of
the increasingly complex world problems. From our experience to
date, it appears that, as usual, he was right.
This then is the legacy that Igor Ivan Sikorsky leaves the
world, as the result of his lifelong dedication and creative efforts in
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.
aviation. He was awarded membership in many organizations,
many patents, and many honors. His was a life for which the people
of the world should be very grateful.
In closing, a brief look at the man himself: He was soft-spoken-
in my knowledge he never gave orders, but he made suggestions
that were always worth listening to. He was courtly in an unassum-
ing way- he always bowed on introduction. He retained a charm-
ing accent when speaking in English and probably because he
learned much of his English through reading the Bible, he always
slightly accented the "ed" at the end of words. He was most
considerate of others he would wait often a considerable length of
time until others, no matter how humble, finished speaking before
even wishing them "Merry Christmas." Although shy, he was
forceful in technical discussion.
Igor Sikorsky was a devoted family man, with five children:
Tania, Sergei, Nikolai, Igor, Jr., and George.
Igor Sikorsky has been called a mystic, but I {eel that he was a
philosopher searching for the higher truths that should guide man
if he is to continue to survive within the growing mismatch between
technology and social consciousness. Aside Prom the Story of the
Winged-S, he wrote three other books- some small but powerful:
The Message of the Lord's Prayer, published in 1942 and reprinted ire
1963; The Invisible Encounter, published in 1947; and In Search of
Higher Realities, published around 1969.
In these books his insight into man's social capabilities was just as
powerful as was his insight into man's technical capabilities. He felt
that man is capable of overcoming the dichotomy between society
and technology if he will seriously look to the Creator for guidance.
In 1969 a noted man long acquainted with him contributed a
forward to a book on Igor Sikorsky in which he said, in part:
All `~l' us `` hey hat e knots n Mr. Sikorsky `` ell enough tic call him
"Igor" and a mere acquaintance would not encourage this I'amiliarity
because fit' his Diet unassuming dignity admire him very much and
greatly praline his friendship
He is a trimly unusual person He is a genius He has great natural ability
He has, thr`~gh`'ut his life, increased his inherently high capabilities by
study, observation, and analytical c`'nsiderati`'n He is able and stilling, to
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concentrate and think through. He is not only intelligent, but wise a
person who instinctively without the necessity for conscious thought-
does the kindly, the right thing. A true gentleman, of the old school.
His three greatest aeronautical achievements were the multi-motored
airplane, the {lying boat, and the practical helicopter. He spent a full
lifetime in developing and producing each in its turn. Almost every
possible problem and frustration was faced and overcome. A less coura-
geous and determined man would not have succeeded, as he did, in any of
the three areas.
He dared to dream dreams" to dream the near impossible and he
made those dreams come true.
Lt. Gen. James H. Doolittle, USAF (Ret.)
For those of us who knew Igor Sikorsky, we can only comment,
"Well and truly said."
Igor Ivan Sikorsky was a whole man, one who it was a
privilege to work with and to know. He will long be admired,
respected, and loved.
265
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Representative terms from entire chapter:
pan american
