Sikorsky R-4 helicopter - development history, photos, technical data

Sikorsky R-4
1981

The Sikorsky R-4, or VS-316A, was a definitive development of Igor Sikorsky's successful pre-war VS-300, and in 1944 became the first helicopter in the world to be placed in series production. Like the VS-300, it had a framework of heavy-gauge steel tube, and all but the extreme rear end of the fuselage was fabric-covered, as were the 10.97m diameter main rotor blades. A completely new feature was the fully-enclosed cabin, with side-by-side seating and dual controls for the 2-man crew. Powered by a 165hp Warner R-500-3 engine, the prototype VS-316A flew for the first time on 13 January 1942; later, with the military designation XR-4 and serial number 41-18874, the aircraft was handed over to the USAAF for evaluation. It arrived at Wright Field, Ohio, on 18 May 1942, having completed, in stages, the 1225km trip from Bridgeport, Connecticut, in 16 hr. 10 min. flying time. Later in 1942 an order was placed for three service test YR-4A's with 180hp R-550-1 engines and main rotors of 11.58m diameter, and similar changes were made to the XR-4 in 1943, after which it was redesignated XR-4C. Other 1943 developments included the first-ever landing by a helicopter on a ship at sea (the tanker Bunker Hill) and the production of twenty-seven pre-series YR-4B's for further evaluation by the USAAF, the U.S. Navy (three), U.S. Coast Guard (three) and the RAF (seven). These were generally similar to the YR-4A's except for an enlarged cabin, and were used inter alia for winterisation and tropical trials in Alaska and Burma. In the latter theatre one of the YR-4B's carried out the first recorded casualty evacuation operation by helicopter.

One hundred production R-4B's were built, similar to the YR-4B except for a more powerful engine; thirty-five were delivered to the USAAF for observation and liaison duties, and twenty to the U.S. Navy as HNS-1 reconnaissance and air/sea rescue aircraft. The remaining forty-five were supplied to Great Britain under Lend-Lease, most of them going to the Royal Navy. The R-4B was known in British service as the Hoverfly I. In the RAF the Hoverfly I replaced the Rota (Cierva C.30A) autogiros of No.529 Squadron from August 1944, and some were supplied to the Helicopter Training School at Andover early in 1945. By the end of the year the type had passed out of RAF service, some aircraft being allocated for radar calibration work with the Telecommunications Research Establishment; others undertook snow and flood reporting duties, and one was allocated to the King's Flight to carry mail and freight. The Joint Experimental Helicopter Unit, established in 1954, was equipped initially with R-4B and R-6A helicopters handed on from the Royal Air Force and Fleet Air Arm. The R-4 did not enjoy a long service career, either in Britain or the United States, being supplanted in the early post-war years by the Sikorsky S-51 and its British-built equivalent, the Westland Dragonfly. Those still in American service were redesignated H-4B in 1948.

K.Munson "Helicopters And Other Rotorcraft Since 1907", 1968

FACTS AND FIGURES

- The first flight of the XR-4 was on 14 January 1942. On 21 April 1945 a single Canadian R-4 became the first helicopter to rescue a downed crew in the Arctic.

- Thirty production machines (YR-4As and YR-4Bs) were ordered in total.

- US Army Air Force R-4s were used to rescue downed crews in the Pacific.

- By the time production switched to the improved R-5/S-51 series, a total of 130 Sikorsky R-4s had been built.

- A Sikorsky R-4 was the first true helicopter to make a landing at sea.

- On 17 May 1942, the XR-4 flew a distance of 1224km.

- Colonel Frank Gregory made the first helicopter landing aboard ship, on 7 May 1943 in Long Island Sound, USA.

- Early XR-4s had a metal and fabric-covered fuselage.

- The US Navy established its first helicopter squadron, VX-3, at Floyd Bennett Field NAS.

- R-4Bs became the first production helicopters in the world.

Photo Gallery

	The first prototype XR-4 (VS-316; S-47)
	An R-4B in flight. The resemblance to the VS-300 can be seen in this view. Sikorsky R-4s were the only U.S. military helicopter to be used operationally during World War II.
	A U.S. Navy HNS-1 being flown by the Coast Guard, which was given responsibility for Navy helicopter development and operations during World War II. This float-equipped HNS-1 is shown over the icebreaker Northwind (AG-89) during Rear Admiral Richard E. Byrd's 1947 expedition to the Antarctic.
	A Navy-Coast Guard HNS-1 is "stuffed" into a C-54 transport of the Air Transport Command at the Coast Guard air station in Brooklyn, N.Y. The helicopter was flown 1,000 miles on 29 April 1945, to Goose Bay, Labrador. It was then reassembled and rescued 11 Canadian airmen from two separate crashes in rugged territory, carrying them to safety one man per flight.
	The first of a long line of Sikorsky military helicopters was the XR-4, shown here while assigned to the USAAF research and test facility at Wright Field in Ohio (now Wright-Patterson Air Force Base)
	An experimental R-4 with a tilting tail rotor
	Sikorsky R-4

Technical data for R-4
Crew: 1, passengers: 1, engine: 1 x Warner R-550 rated at 134kW, main rotor diameter: 11.6m, length: 14.7m, height: 3.8m, take-off weight: 1152kg, empty weight: 952kg, max speed: 132km/h, cruising speed: 105km/h, rate of climb: 3.3m/s, service ceiling: 2340m, range: 370km

Comments

1-20 21-40

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MICHAELA, e-mail, 03.06.2024

Greg van Liew, e-mail, 28.12.2023

Nice thread. Are there any flight worthy models left? And were any certified for civil market?

Kathleen Long, e-mail, 20.01.2023

I have a picture of my father, Jack U. Klarr with a group of pilots in front of a Skorsky R-4. It was taken at the factory in NJ I think. He was a fighter pilot and part of the First Air Commandos based in Burma and China. He was sent to the factory to train to fly these helicopters in Burma to evacuate the wounded. His unit served under British command which were using mules to evacuate wounded troops at that time. Some of these helicopters were shipped to India but were damaged so that he never had to fly one in combat. He did refer to them as "death traps".

Mike McKinney, e-mail, 19.10.2023

Kathleen Long

Ms. Long--
I'd be very interested in seeing a copy of this photo as well as maybe getting an electronic version for my research. Additionally I'd love to hear more about your father's story. Thanks.
Mike

Kathleen Long, e-mail, 03.11.2023

Mike McKinney

Thank you for your interest. I do have the photo. It is an 8 x 10 black and white. I has the helicopter in the background and a group of pilots and ground crew? It looks like it was taken in front of a factory. I dont' have identification of where or when it was taken or who the men were.
As far as my dad's stories. All of his records were lost in the fire of the WWII record archives. He served in the First Air Commandos in the CBI flying P-40s and P-51As. Most of the information I have on him and his unit came from a British researcher, Akhil Kadidal who does research on the Chindits and the US troops who supported the British in Burma. i could send you a copy of the picture. Just let me know how to get it to you. I have an entire box of my dad's pictures from his time overseas but this is the only one that features a helicopter. Like many, he didn't talk much about his time in the war.
Just let me know how I can help you.
Thanks,
Kate (Kathleen) Long

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Robert Grossman, e-mail, 02.05.2022 reply
Every household will someday have a helipad and chopper. Sure as God made little green apples. Is the helicopter described in the book of revelation in the Bible ? What happened to the autogyro ?
The helicopter is surely a wonderful addition to the engineering designs of any society. Respond if you have time
Bob G
1-20 21-40

Do you have any comments ?

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