S-1 -
The first attempt by Igor Sikorsky to build a flying machine. It was a
helicopter with two two-bladed propellers. Tested, but no flights.
One 25hp Anzani. 1908.
S-2 66.5K (Igor Sikorsky with his helocopter no. 2. at Kiev in the spring of 1910) -
Helicopter with two three-bladed counter-rotating propellers. Underpovered
aircraft was able to take off... but without a pilot. One 25hp Anzani. 1910.
The next helicopter was built only 20 years later...
BIS No.1 186.0K -
(Bylinkin, Iordan, Sikorsky;
Igor Sikorsky at the controls of his BIS-1; 190K) -
The first aircraft of trio Bylinkin, Iordan, Sikorsky, so BIS. Povered by two
cylinder 15 h.p. Anzani engine. Used for taxi tests (April 1910) but was too
underpowered to fly. Direct predecessor of BIS No.2.
See also: article.
BIS No.2 (Bylinkin, Iordan, Sikorsky) -
BIS No.2 was based on unedpovered BIS No.1. It was the third Russian domestic
aircraft to fly (June 1910). Povered by three cylinder 25 h.p. Anzani engine.
S-4 198.8K (at an aviation exibit at Kiev in April 1911) -
The second in series of "S" aircraft. Failure of 50 h.p. Anzani air cooled
engine could have proved fatal for less experienced pilot. So for next model
(S-5) Sikorsky incorporated German built Argus engines. 1910.
S-5 211.0K (Igor Sikorsky's pilot license (Audust 18, 1911 old style).
The photograph shows Sikorsky at the controls of his S-5.) -
After in-flight failure of Anzani engine (S-4 model) Sikorsky incorporated
German built Argus engines. The S-5, first flown in April 1911, was able for
sustained flight up to an hour. Flying this plane Sikorsky obtained his pilots
license and established four Russian records (1911):
Ceiling - 500m
Range - 85km
Speed - 125km/h
Duration - 52min
S-5 had one 50hp Argus. 1911.
The seaplane S-5A had more powerful 60hp/80hp Gnome-Rhone Engine. 1912.
S-6 -
Biplane, one of the best early Sikorsky designs. Developed as fast as in 3
months (thanks to intensive tests in a wind tunnel!), it employed aerodinamically
clean airframe and aluminium radiator for 100 h.p. Argus engine. Speed with 3
passengers 111 km/h was a world record! Further modifications of S-6 were S-6A
and S-6B. The first Sikorsky aircraft built at Russo-Baltic Wagon Works, R-BVZ.
All built before the S-6B were built in a barn in an estate belonging to Igor's
father.
S-6 - 1911, end
S-6A - 1912, spring
S-6B - 1912?
S-6B -
S-6B was bult for international military competition held by Russian government
in July 1912, where it won the first prize. It featured a reinforced
undercarriage as well as a gear for starting the 100 h.p. Argus engine from the
cockpit. Speed with a load of 327kg was 113 km/h. Sikorsky won first prize in
competition among 11 flying machines, several were designed by famous European
firms as Farman, Nieuport and Fokker.
S-12 -
Monoplane. Two seats. One 80hp Le Rhone. 1913.
S-21 22.1K Ilya Myromets -
Igor Sikorsky built the world's first four-engined aircraft, S-21 the Rusky
Vitaz, in 1913. The Ilya Moroumetz was a bomber development(s); around 80 were
used by the Russian heavy bomber units during WWI, in several version
(S-22...S-27) and with the available engines. Sometimes only two engines were
fitted.
It was the first mass production aircraft with four engines placed along the
wing, but not in tandem pairs. Also it had internal bomb bay (before bombs or
grenades were thrown by hands from the open cocpit) and bombsight to provide
precise bombing. Numerous machineguns (4..7 mg) provided Ilya Mourometz with
exellent defence, and it is easy to belive a legend that no one of those giants
was shot down.
Built at RBVZ ()Russko-Baltijskij Vagonnyj Zavod. Four 110kW Sunbeam. 1915.
S-XVI -
Two-seat biplane designed by I. Sikorsky, intended as escort fighter for the
Ilya Mourometz bombers. Performance was low, because no sufficiently powerful
engine was available (80hp Gnome was used). Bult at RBVZ. 1915.
S-XX -
Biplane fighter, designed by Igor Sikorsky. No (mass?) production.
One 120hp Le Rhone. Bult at RBVZ. 1917.
S-38 - Amphibious aircraft, crew 2.
S-38 is a twin-engine amphibious aircraft (i.e. it is capable of operating
from both land and water). The fuselage is rectangular with very long nose
and boat-hull bottom. Several rectangular windows run along either side of
the fuselage. High-set wings are rectangular with rounded tips and are set
far above the fuselage. Much smaller bottom wings are also present, but
they serve mostly as mounts for additional side floats. Two 9-cylinder
radial engines with two-blade propellers are mounted close to each other in
the space between the fuselage and the top wings. Several braces connect
rectangular tailplane to the wings and the fuselage. Two fins extend both
above and below the tailplane. Landing gear with tail wheel is not
retractable. A development of S-36, S-38 was first flown in the September
of 1928. The aircraft soon went in production and proved fairly popular
among some airlines. S-41 was a much improved S-38. First flown in the early
1932, the aircraft featured fully-metallic fuselage and wings along with
more powerful engines and greater payload capacity.
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