Igo
Ivan Sikorsky was
born in Kiev, Russia, in 1889. He began
experimenting with building helicopters in 1909, but turned to fixed-wing
aeroplanes. In 1911 he flew his S-5 aeroplane for more than
an hour and achieved altitudes of 450 m/1,480 ft. He followed this
by building the four-engined Le Grand
and Ilia Mourometz. These were used as bombers by the
Russian Army Air Service during the First
World War.
After the Russian Revolution he emigrated to the United States. Sikorsky
founded the Sikorsky Aero Engineering Corporation in 1923 (later merged
to form the United Aircraft Corporation). He built several flying
boats, including the S-40 American Clipper.
In 1939 he built the successful helicopter, the VS-300. Igo
Ivan Sikorsky died in 1972.
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