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by John Bulakowski (Author), Frank Colucci (Author), Igor I. Sikorsky Historical Archives (Author)
Igor Sikorsky was a pioneering Russian engineer and aviator driven from his home by revolution. The Sikorsky Aircraft Centennial 1923-2023, a Tribute by the Igor I. Sikorsky Historical Archives, documents his work in the United States and that of the pioneering American company that he founded. It traces the growth of Sikorsky Aircraft from a struggling fixed-wing aviation concern started on a Long Island farm to a world-leading helicopter manufacturer today headquartered in Connecticut. The book draws on archival documents, photos, and interviews to trace Sikorsky's early contributions to commercial aviation and the revolution he brought about in vertical flight.
Igor Sikorsky arrived in New York City in 1919 determined to advance aviation technology and later wrote, "The United States seemed to me the only place which offered a real opportunity in what was then a rather precarious profession. I had been inspired by the work of Edison and Ford, the realization that a man in this country, with ideas of value -- and I hoped that mine were -- might have a chance to succeed." He launched Sikorsky Aero Engineering Corporation in 1923 and ultimately designed, built, and delivered fixed-wing land planes, amphibians, and flying boats, including the Pan American Airways Clippers that established the first trans-Atlantic and trans-Pacific passenger routes.
With demand for his big flying boats declining, Sikorsky turned his engineering genius to rotary-wing flight and piloted his one-of-a-kind VS-300 helicopter in 1939. Recollections from Igor Sikorsky and his son Sergei describe the trial-and-error testing and improvements that made the VS-300 so important. The senior Sikorsky later told his son, "The jet may have made the world smaller. The helicopter made it bigger by allowing mankind to live and work in areas that would have been inaccessible by any other vehicle."
From Sikorsky's first American fixed-wing aircraft, the S-29A, to the latest helicopter design, the S-102 Raider-X, this book tells the story of every model produced by Sikorsky Aircraft. It traces the development of helicopter air mobility in the U.S. Army and Marine Corps, antisubmarine warfare in the U.S. Navy, combat rescue in the U.S. Air Force, and air-sea rescue in the U.S. Coast Guard. The story also covers the introduction of helicopters in scheduled airlines and the oil industry, and it describes the digital design and manufacturing developments that shape how future aircraft will be designed, built and perform.
Richly illustrated with more than 400 unique photos, The Sikorsky Aircraft Centennial 1923-2023 also covers the evolution of Sikorsky Aircraft, today a Lockheed Martin Company. It illustrates Igor Sikorsky's innovative patents and historic memorabilia and tells a proud story of immigration, invention, and industry. This volume will be a fascinating read for every aviation enthusiast and for those looking to learn more about Igor Sikorsky's history in America.
