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Sikorsky S-51 Helicopter
The R-4's success was immediately apparent, particularly as a spotter carried on warships, so in 1946 it was followed by the S-51, which entered service as the R-5. It was the world's first truly practical military helicopter. The new S-51 could carry up to three passengers in addition to the pilot over a range of more than 250 miles at a cruising speed of 85 mph . The R-5 was used for spotting and communications work, and also became celebrated in the Korean War as a rescue type, picking up pilots who had crashed behind enemy lines or into the sea. With its ability to take off and land vertically, the helicopter was also used to ferry seriously wounded soldiers direct from the battlefield areas to hospitals just behind the front, greatly improving their chances of survival. Although the new S-51 shared the R-4's basic layout, it was an entirely new design seating it's crew of two in tandem in a more streamlined fuselage. The S-51 was the first commercial helicopter designed by Sikorsky
and the USAAF announced a requirement for a larger machine which
would be able to carry out tasks such as observation and rescue
duties.The S-51 first flew on 16 February 1946 and was certified
a month later by the Civil  In
1947, Westland acquired the license to build the S-51 in Britain
and produced 139 up to 1953.It was the first British-built helicopter
to enter RAF service, the Dragonfly was the licence-built version
of the Sikorsky S-51. Like its US original, the Dragonfly was designed
primarily for the civil market, but after an initial flight in October
1948 secured its best sales from the military. The first RAE versions
were the Dragonfly HCMk 2 casualty-evacuation type with the Leonides
50 radial and composite rotor blades (three built with provision
for the carriage of two litters on external panniers) and the Dragonfly
HC.Mk 4 with all-metal rotor blades and a hydraulic servo-control
mechanism for the main rotor 12 built, with similar pannier provision
to the HC.Mk 21. Total production was 139, including 80 for the
Royal Navy. (Westland Dragonfly shown above)
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Aviation
Agency and delivered to the first customer in August. It was sold
to United Air Lines and Los Angeles Airways.
before
my military time but my mind remembers Mickey Rooney wearing
a green hat and flying something like that in The Bridges
At Toko-Ri...Bob Penikas (see below)
