25 May 1889: Ігор Іванович Сікорський (Igor Ivanovich Sikorsky) was born at Kiev, Ukraine, Russian Empire, the fifth of five children of Professor Ivan Alexeevich Sikorsky and Doctor Mariya Stefanovich Sikorskaya.
He studied at the Imperial Naval Academy, St. Petersburg, from 1903 until 1906, when he left to study engineering, first in Paris, and then at the Kiev Polytechnic Institute.
Flying an airplane of his own design, the S-5, on 18 April 1911, he received a Fédération Aéronautique Internationale pilot’s license from L’Aéro-Club Imperial de Russie (Imperial Russian Aero Club).
He was chief aircraft engineer for Russko-Baltiisky Vagonny Zavod at St. Petersburg and continued to develop airplanes. In 1913, he flew the twin engine S-21 Le Grand, to which he added two more engines, and it became the Russky Vityaz.
Igor Sikorsky married Olga Fyodorovna Simkovich. They had a daughter, Tania. The couple soon divorced, however.
Following the October Revolution, Sikorsky emigrated to the United States. Departing Le Havre, France, aboard S.S. La Lorraine, he arrived at New York on 31 March 1919. With financial backing from composer and conductor Sergei Vasilievich Rachmaninoff, he founded the Sikorsky Aero Engineering Company at Long Island, New York, in 1924, and continued designing and building airplanes.
In 1924, Sikorsky married Elisabeth Semion, who was also born in Russia, in 1903. They would have four children. In 1928, he became a citizen of the United States of America.
Beginning in 1934, Sikorsky Aircraft produced the S-42 flying boat for Pan American Airways at a new plant at Stratford, Connecticut.
Interested in helicopters since the age of 9, he directed his creative effort toward the development of a practical “direct-lift” aircraft. The first successful design was the Vought-Sikorsky VS-300. Using a single main rotor, the VS-300 went through a series of configurations before arriving at the single anti-torque tail rotor design, the VS-316A. This was put into production for the U.S. military as the Sikorsky R-4.
The company which Igor Sikorsky founded has continued as one of the world’s biggest helicopter manufacturers. Recently acquired by Lockheed Martin, Sikorsky continues to produce the UH-60-series of Blackhawk medium helicopters, the large CH-53K King Stallion, and the civil S-76D and S-92. A variant of the S-92 has been selected as the next helicopter for the U.S. presidential air fleet, the VH-92A. This helicopter is planned to be operational by 2020.
Igor Ivanovich Sikorsky died at Easton, Connecticut, 26 October 1972 at the age of 83 years.
6 thoughts on “Igor Ivanovich Sikorsky (25 May 1889–26 October 1972)”
Bryan, great story on Igor and even better photographs! Didn’t know he was born in Ukraine. The man was brilliant.
Examining the S-48 color photo I don’t see anti torque pedals, but they are there! Looks like he slides his feet to maneuver? And I don’t see the collective/throttle control….. gotta be one I know. Maybe you can help.
Thanks again for your continued work on TDiA. A daily peruse for me as you’ve probably figured out. 😉
Thanks, Chris. re: the S-48 photo, you can se the tail rotor push/pull tubes entering two holes under the deck. I suspect that the collective lever/throttle are hidden by Sikorsky’s left leg.
Great article about Sikorsky’s amazing career! You missed the HH-52A in the photo album. The Coast Guard operated them from the early ’60s to the mid ’80s. Rescued many mariners in peril on the sea.
I’ll have to add it. Thanks!
I think the photo captioned “Sikorsky’s S-21 in flight, 1913” actually shows Sikorsky’s four-engine, snub-nosed S-22 Ilya Muromets, which was built after the S-21 Russky Vityaz was destroyed in a freak accident (as mentioned in your 23 June 1913 entry). As always, thanks for all the work you put into your excellent website. It’s how I start the day.
Thank you, Ben. You may be right. The photo is not clear enough to see the details.
Bryan, great story on Igor and even better photographs! Didn’t know he was born in Ukraine. The man was brilliant.
Examining the S-48 color photo I don’t see anti torque pedals, but they are there! Looks like he slides his feet to maneuver? And I don’t see the collective/throttle control….. gotta be one I know. Maybe you can help.
Thanks again for your continued work on TDiA. A daily peruse for me as you’ve probably figured out. 😉
Thanks, Chris. re: the S-48 photo, you can se the tail rotor push/pull tubes entering two holes under the deck. I suspect that the collective lever/throttle are hidden by Sikorsky’s left leg.
Great article about Sikorsky’s amazing career! You missed the HH-52A in the photo album. The Coast Guard operated them from the early ’60s to the mid ’80s. Rescued many mariners in peril on the sea.
I’ll have to add it. Thanks!
I think the photo captioned “Sikorsky’s S-21 in flight, 1913” actually shows Sikorsky’s four-engine, snub-nosed S-22 Ilya Muromets, which was built after the S-21 Russky Vityaz was destroyed in a freak accident (as mentioned in your 23 June 1913 entry). As always, thanks for all the work you put into your excellent website. It’s how I start the day.
Thank you, Ben. You may be right. The photo is not clear enough to see the details.