Sikorsky R-6
1943 light helicopter family
The Sikorsky R-6 is an American light two-seat helicopter of the 1940s. In Royal Air Force and Royal Navy service, it was named the Hoverfly II.
Development
The R-6/Hoverfly II was developed to improve on the successful Sikorsky R-4. In order to enhance performance, a completely new streamlined fuselage was designed and the boom carrying the tail rotor was lengthened and straightened. The main rotor and transmission system of the R-4 were retained. Sikorsky allotted their Model 49 designation to the new design. Later, dynamically balanced modifications to the rotor were carried out by Doman Helicopters Inc. The new aircraft could attain 100 mph (160 km/h) compared with 82 mph (132 km/h) by the earlier design.
Initial production was by Sikorsky, but most examples were built by Nash-Kelvinator. Some of the later aircraft were fitted with more powerful engines.
Operational history
The first R-6s were delivered to the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) in late 1944 and some were transferred to the United States Navy (USN).
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