Sikorsky R-4B - Ottawa, Ontario - Static Aircraft Displays on Waymarking.com

From an information panel on site:

Sikorsky
R-4B
Utility Helicopter
First Flight: 1942
Acquisition Date: 1983

The following is from the Canadian Aviation and Space Museum's Website:

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)

Artifact no.:
1983.0414
Manufacturer:
Sikorsky Aircraft Division of United Aircraft Corporation
Manufacturer Location:
United States
Manufacture Date:
1944
Registration no.:
43-46565 (USAAF)
Acquisition Date:
1983

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

Reference: (visit link)

Sikorsky R-4B: (visit link)

Type of Aircraft: (make/model): Sikorsky R-4B Tail Number: (S/N): 43-46565 (USAAF) Construction:: original aircraft Location (park, airport, museum, etc.): Canada Aviation and Space Museum - (Reserver Hangar) inside / outside: inside Other Information:: Canada Aviation and Space Museum - Ottawa, Ontario Opening hours Daily 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission fees Adult $15, Youth (3-17) $10 Senior (age 60+) / Student $13 - Free on Thursday from 4 to 5 PM An additional 5$ entrance fee to visit the hanger where this aircraft is located will need to be purchased before the visit takes place. You will be escorted by a tour guide. Tours of the hangar are scheduled for 11 AM and 1 PM. There is paid parking on site. Taking photographs is allowed. Access restrictions: You will be briefed by the tour guide at the commencement of your tour and he/she will explain the activities that you may have to restrain from within the hangar. There are barriers on the floor that serve to prevent visitors from approaching too close and touching the aircrafts.

Visit Instructions:
Photo of aircraft (required - will be interesting to see if the aircraft is ever repainted or progress if being restored)
Photo of serial number (required unless there is not one or it is a replica)
Photo(s) of any artwork on the aircraft (optional but interesting)

Tell why you are visiting this waymark along with any other interesting facts or personal experiences about the aircraft not already mentioned.

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Date Logged Log User Rating   04/22/2023 jiggs11 visited it