Rotorcraft manufacturers celebrate anniversaries
Sikorsky Aircraft is a hundred years old, while fellow US firm Robinson has been in business for half a century
Helicopter manufacturer Sikorsky Aircraft has announced that it is commemorating 100 years since its establishment in 1923. The company – now a subsidiary of aerospace giant Lockheed Martin – was founded by Russian-American aviation pioneer Igor Sikorsky as the Sikorsky Aero Engineering Company, based at a chicken farm in Long Island, New York.
Sikorsky initially focused on the development of fixed-wing aircraft, beginning with the never-mass-produced S-29-A twin-engine biplane, and the S-38 ‘flying boat’. In 1929, the company later moved to Stratford, Connecticut, to accommodate its increasing aircraft production.
While Igor Sikorsky had attempted to design helicopters as early as 1908, his early designs were limited by the engine technology of the time. It was only in the 1930s that the concept was revisited. In 1935, Sikorsky was granted a patent for a ‘Direct Lift Aircraft’ design – which would later become the first practical helicopter, the VS-300.
The VS-300, piloted by Igor Sikorsky, flew for the first time in September 1939, for a duration of approximately 10 seconds. By 1942, the technology had matured enough for the first mass produced helicopter, the XR-4, to be delivered to the US Army Air Forces.
“Igor Sikorsky demonstrated a passion for innovation and the grit to see his vision through to fruition,” said Paul Lemmo, Sikorsky President. “For 100 years, our employees have carried on the culture of innovation he started as we help customers around the world perform difficult and sometimes dangerous missions.”
Robinson celebrates 50 years
The Robinson Helicopter Company is also celebrating a major milestone this year – marking fifty years in business. The company was founded by Frank Robinson in June 1973 with the aim of ‘designing and manufacturing simple, reliable helicopters’.
The company’s first helicopter, the two-seater R22 was certified by the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in 1979. Its success led to the subsequent introduction of the four-seater R44 in the early 1990s – an aircraft that became the bestselling dedicated civilian rotorcraft on the market – followed by the five-seater R66 in 2010.
The company now maintains a fleet of over 13,000 helicopters currently operating worldwide.
In a statement, the company said the ‘50-year milestone represents more than the passing of time, it is affirmation of the company’s success’.
Robinson recently delivered the third of three R66 helicopters in law enforcement configuration to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office in March 2023.