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Few Americans are aware that the world's helicopter industry was spawned during World War II. But in fewer than five years (December 1940-September 1945), Russian-emigre Igor Sikorsky designed and built three different models of helicopters - the R4 series, the R6-A and the R5-A. After the models had been built, they were tested, redesigned, tested for production, produced and retested. More than 300 of the three models were produced and delivered to United States and British forces for military operations.' The R4-B, R&A and R5-A helicopters would perform combat medical evacuation, downed aircrew rescue, and ship-to-shore aircraft-- parts delivery in Burma, the Philippine Islands, Saipan, Iwo Jima and Okinawa. The well-known Korean War helicopter, the Bell H-13, was also tested during World War 11.2
Beginnings
Development of the helicopter actually began during the intense war preparations that flourished in the atmosphere of heated nationalism prevalent during the 1930s. Germany developed the first successful helicopter, the Focke-Wulf FW-61, in 1936. The FW-61 was a true helicopter with cyclic and collective pitch control, and it was capable of autorotation. In 1937, aviatrix Hanna Reitsch demonstrated the FW-61 inside Berlin's Deutschland-Halle sports arena.
In 1938, the U.S. Congress, attempting to fill the Field Artillery's need for a light observation aircraft, authorized $2 million for research and development of a rotarywing aircraft. The Platt-LePage Aircraft Company won the bid with a modified FW61 design. In 1939, when Congress authorized $300,000 for the development of an "Army two-seater service observation-- trainer helicopter," Sikorsky, of Curtis-- Vought, met the challenge. He and his team had tested, engineered, redesigned and produced the X-R4-model helicopter by mid-April 1942.3
On April 20, 1942, representatives of the U.S. Army, Coast Guard, Navy, and the British Royal Navy watched the X-R4 demonstration. With a passenger aboard, Sikorsky flew the X-R4 to 5,000 feet, demonstrated its helicopter attributes, and concluded the demonstration by rappelling from the hovering craft. His project engineer, Ralph P. Alex, using a rope ladder, then climbed aboard the X-R4.
On May 14,1942, the X-R4 flew 761 miles to Wright Field, Ohio, making 16 stops for refueling en route. Because of strong headwinds, the longest leg of the trip (92 miles) took one hour and 50 minutes, but the U.S. Army had its first...