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Ingenium Canada Aviation and Space Museum

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Sikorsky R-4B

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Open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Thursday to Monday
Address
11 Aviation Parkway, Ottawa, ON
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Browse all Visitor Information for Canada Aviation and Space Museum
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Sikorsky R-4B

Sikorsky R-4B

Highlights:

  • A U.S. utility and training helicopter designed and manufactured by the Sikorsky Aircraft Division of United Aircraft Corporation from 1942 to 1944
  • The world's first mass-produced helicopter and the first to enter U.S. and British military service
  • Developed from the VS-300 helicopter, Sikorsky's first airworthy helicopter, with fabric-covered rear fuselage, side-by-side seating and dual controls
  • Exceeded all previous records for helicopter endurance, altitude and airspeed
  • A U.S. Coast Guard R-4 made the first recorded helicopter rescue mission, in 1944
  • A U.S. Coast Guard R-4 made the first helicopter rescue in Canada (in an inaccessible area 200 kilometres from Goose Bay, Labrador), in May 1945
  • First flight was on January 4, 1942 (XR-4)

Image Gallery:

CASM-32047

CASM-32047

CASM-32055

CASM-32055

History:

Following a demonstration of his VS-300 helicopter in 1939, Igor Sikorsky won a contract for development of the XR-4 which retained the single rotor of the VS-300 but had a covered fuselage, side-by-side seating and dual controls. The flying controls in the XR-4 set the standard for all subsequent helicopters. The XR-4 was re-engined in 1943 and called XR-4C. Service trials with the YR-4A and YR-4B, including one from a tanker, resulted in the final variant, the R-4B. One hundred R-4Bs were made with 45 going to Britain.

This aircraft was the first helicopter produced for the US Air Force, and the world’s first mass-produced helicopter. The first helicopter rescue in Canada occurred when a US Coast Guard R-4 picked up the crew of a Canso that had crashed 482 km (300 miles) southwest of Goose Bay, Labrador.

Current Location:

Reserve Hangar, Canada Aviation and Space Museum

Provenance:

Exchange with the Planes of Fame Museum, United States

The Sikorsky Aircraft Division of United Aircraft Corporation built this R-4 for the U.S. Army Air Forces in 1944. Its subsequent history is not known. The Museum acquired it from the Planes of Fame Air Museum in Chino, California in 1983, in exchange for a Japanese aircraft. The R-4 does not have an engine.

Technical Information:

Rotor diameter: 11.6 m (38 ft)
Length 10.8 m (35 ft 5 in)
Height 3.8 m (12 ft 5 in)
Weight, Empty 916 kg (2,020 lb)
Weight, Gross 1,150 kg (2,535 lb)
Cruising Speed 104 km/h (65 mph)
Max Speed 131 km/h (81 mph)
Rate of Climb 198 m (650 ft) /min
Service Ceiling 2,440 m (8,000 ft)
Range 370 km (230 mi)
Power Plant one Warner R-550-3, 200 hp, 7-cylinder, fan-cooled, radial engine

Sikorsky R-4B plan

AVIATION
Canada Aviation and Space Museum
Artifact No.
1983.0414
Manufacturer
Sikorsky Aircraft Division of United Aircraft Corporation
Manufacturer Location
United States
Manufacture Date
1944
Acquisition Date
1983
Registration Number
43-46565 (USAAF)
  • View all the collection highlights at the Canada Aviation and Space Museum
  • View other collection highlights related to Aviation

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About Canada Aviation and Space Museum

Canada Aviation and Space Museum
Located on a former military air base just five kilometers from the Prime Minister’s residence at 24 Sussex Drive in Ottawa, the Canada Aviation and Space Museum focuses on aviation in Canada within an international context – from its beginnings in 1909 to today.
Read more about the museum

Contact Us

Canada Aviation and Space Museum
11 Aviation Parkway
Ottawa ON K1K 2X5
Canada

613-991-3044
1-866-442-4416
contact@IngeniumCanada.org
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  • Plan Your Visit
    • Health and Safety
    • Hours
    • Admission
    • Location and Directions
    • Accessibility
    • Browse All Visitor Information
    • Buy Tickets
    • Online Resources for Science at Home
    • About the Museum
  • What's On at the Museum
    • Events
    • Exhibitions
    • Flights and Simulations
    • Spaces and Studios
  • Bookings and Rentals
    • School Programs
    • Summer Camps
    • Venue Rentals
    • Travelling Exhibitions
    • Virtual Field Trips
    • Group Visits
    • Birthday Parties
  • Educational Programs
    • School Programs
    • Virtual Field Trips
    • Program Location
      • At the Museum
      • At your School
      • Online
      • Browse all Educational Programs
    • Popular Links
      • 3D Educational Resources
      • Digital Learning Kits
      • Games and Apps
      • Online Resources for Science at Home
      • Try This Out
  • Collection and Research
    • Research Institute
    • Research Projects
    • Collection Resources
      • Ingenium Collection
      • Collection Highlights
      • Conservation and Collection Services
    • Library and Archives
      • Library and Archives Services
      • Library Catalogue
      • Digital Archives
    • Open Access
      • Ingenium APIs
      • Open Data
      • Open Documents
  • Projects and Initiatives
    • Ingenium Channel
    • The Legacy Series
    • Let's Talk Energy