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76-602: The Ilya Muromets (Sikorsky S-22) was designed and constructed by Igor Sikorsky at the Russo-Baltic Carriage Factory (RBVZ) in Saint Petersburg in 1913. It was based on his earlier S-21 Russky Vityaz , which started out as the twin-engined Le Grand , then as the twin tandem-engined Bolshoi Baltisky before placing all four of the Baltisky's engines in a tractor configuration along

152-428: A 25 horsepower Anzani engine, the helicopter used an upper and lower two-bladed lifting propeller that rotated in opposite directions at 160 rpm . The machine could only generate about 357 pounds (162 kg) of lift, not enough to lift the approximate 457 pounds (207 kg) weight. Despite his progress in solving technical problems of control, Sikorsky realized that the aircraft would never fly. He finally disassembled

228-458: A couple of dozen fighter aircraft with synchronized guns. In the interim, praporshchik Victor Kulebakin was installing cam deflectors on another Morane-Saulnier's crankshaft. Testing in July 1917 showed that the deflectors did indeed pop out from under the aircraft's cowling to deflect any bullets that threatened the propeller. Although the modification was simple enough it could be fabricated in

304-460: A few aviators were armed with carbines. Initially, Russia used aircraft only for reconnaissance and coordination of artillery fire. Later, several aeroplanes were armed with steel flechettes to attack ground targets (columns of enemy infantry and cavalry, campsites, etc.). Later, aeroplanes were armed with air-dropped bombs . On 8 September 1914, the Russian pilot Pyotr Nesterov performed

380-484: A height of a few feet. On June 30 after some modifications, Sikorsky reached an altitude of "sixty or eighty feet" before the S-2 stalled and was completely destroyed when it crashed in a ravine. Later, Sikorsky built the two-seat S-5 , his first design not based on other European aircraft. Flying this original aircraft, Sikorsky earned his pilot license ; Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI) license No. 64 issued by

456-649: A patent for another "direct lift aircraft", and was awarded patent No. 1,994,488 on March 19, 1935. His design plans eventually culminated in the first (tethered) flight of the Vought-Sikorsky VS-300 on September 14, 1939, with the first free flight occurring eight months later on May 24, 1940. Sikorsky's success with the VS-300 led to the R-4 , which became the world's first mass-produced helicopter, in 1942. Sikorsky's final VS-300 rotor configuration, comprising

532-455: A psychiatrist with an international reputation, and an ardent Russian nationalist . Igor Sikorsky was an Orthodox Christian . When questioned regarding his roots, he would answer: "My family is of Russian origin. My grandfather and other ancestors from the time of Peter the Great were Russian Orthodox priests." Sikorsky's mother, Mariya Stefanovna Sikorskaya (née Temryuk- Cherkasova ),

608-663: A single antitorque tail rotor configuration used by most helicopters today. Sikorsky modified the design into the Sikorsky R-4 , which became the world's first mass-produced helicopter in 1942. Igor Sikorsky was born in Kiev, Russian Empire (now Kyiv , Ukraine ) on May 25, 1889. He was the youngest of five children. His father, Ivan Alexeevich Sikorsky, was a professor of psychology in Saint Vladimir University (now Taras Shevchenko National University),

684-620: A single main rotor and a single antitorque tail rotor , has proven to be one of the most popular helicopter configurations, being used in most helicopters produced today. Sikorsky was married to Olga Fyodorovna Simkovitch in the Russian Empire. They were divorced and Olga remained in Russia with their daughter, Tania, as Sikorsky departed following the Bolshevik Revolution in 1917. In 1923, Sikorsky's sisters immigrated to

760-731: A small rubber band-powered helicopter. Sikorsky began studying at the Saint Petersburg Maritime Cadet Corps, in 1903, at the age of 14. In 1906, he determined that his future lay in engineering, so he resigned from the academy, despite his satisfactory standing, and left the Russian Empire to study in Paris. He returned to the Russian Empire in 1907, enrolling at the Mechanical College of the Kyiv Polytechnic Institute . After

836-466: A way of allowing a machine gun to fire safely through the spinning propeller of an aeroplane. The Russian High Command was tardy in realizing the necessity for arming its aircraft throughout 1914 and 1915, leaving frustrated aviators using such impromptu armaments as pistols, rifles, trolled anchors and cables, and other makeshifts. Part of the delay was caused by a paucity of light automatic weapons that an aircraft could lift. However, it became apparent that

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912-472: A world record by making a trip from Saint Petersburg to Kiev , a distance of some 1200 km, and back. The first leg took 14 hours and 38 minutes, with one landing for fuel at Orsha , and the return one, with a fuel stop at Novosokolniki , took even less time, about 13 hours. According to Sikorsky, "The 1,600 miles (2,600 km) flight proved conclusively the value of large multi-motored airplanes. The Army placed an order for ten four-engined airplanes of

988-482: Is in a neglected condition pending restoration. In November 2012, one of the Russian supersonic heavy strategic bomber Tu-160 , based at the Engels-2 Air Force Base, was named for Igor Sikorsky, which caused controversy among air base crew members. One of the officers said that Igor Sikorsky does not deserve it because he laid the foundations of the U.S., rather than Russian aviation. However,

1064-738: The Chevalier's National Order of the Legion of Honour , 2 aviators were awarded the Military Cross , 2 aviators were awarded the Order of the White Eagle and many others were awarded medals. 26 aviators became flying aces of Russian Empire. The most successful Russian flying ace and fighter pilot was Alexander Kazakov , who shot down 20 enemy aeroplanes. However, the war was not going well for Russia and following significant setbacks on

1140-950: The Eastern front , and the economic collapse in the rear, military aircraft production fell far behind Russia's rival Germany. After the February Revolution of 1917 the Imperial Russian Air Service was reformed. Following the October Revolution of 1917 , the Russian Air Service was dissolved. 219 pilots who fought in Red Army during Russian Civil War were awarded Order of the Red Banner (16 of them were awarded twice). Almost all of them were former pilots of IRAS. At

1216-675: The Housatonic River next to the Sikorsky corporate headquarters, is named for him. Sikorsky has been designated a Connecticut Aviation Pioneer by the Connecticut State Legislature. The Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation in Stratford, Connecticut, continues to the present day as one of the world's leading helicopter manufacturers, and a nearby small airport has been named Sikorsky Memorial Airport . Sikorsky

1292-462: The Ilia Mourometz type and the factory personnel was overjoyed by this final approval of the results of two years of hard work." The acclaim received by Sikorsky included Tsar Nicholas II presenting him with the Order of St. Vladimir , Fourth Degree, arranging for an exemption from the wartime draft to allow him to continue his design work, and a promise of a grant worth 100,000 rubles from

1368-715: The Imperial Russian Army used several aerostats for reconnaissance and coordination of artillery fire. The Aeronautical company ( Отдельная воздухоплавательная рота , Otdel'naya vozdukhoplavatel'naya rota ) was under the command of Colonel A.M. Kovanko. In 1904 Nikolai Zhukovsky established the world's first Aerodynamic Institute (Russian: Аэродинамический институт , romanized:  Aerodinamicheskiy institut ) in Kuchino near Moscow . One aeronautical battalion ( учебный Восточно-Сибирский воздухоплавательный батальон ) with 4 aerostats took part in

1444-523: The Long Range Aviation command officer said that Igor Sikorsky is not responsible for the activities of his military aircraft, noted that Sikorsky had also designed the first heavy bomber for Russia. In 2013, Flying magazine ranked Sikorsky number 12 on its list of the 51 Heroes of Aviation. In August 2016, the National technical university of Ukraine "Kyiv politechnical institute"

1520-568: The Monino Air Force Museum near Moscow built in 1970. Data from General characteristics Performance Armament Related development Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era Igor Sikorsky Igor Ivanovich Sikorsky ([Игорь Иванович Сикорский] Error: {{Langx}}: invalid parameter: |a= ( help ) , Ukrainian : Ігор Іванович Сікорський , romanized :  Ihor Ivanovych Sikorskyi ; 25 May 1889 – 26 October 1972)

1596-690: The Russo-Japanese War . In 1908, the Russian Aeroclub (Russian: Всероссийский Аэроклуб , romanized:  Vserossiyskiy Aeroklub , lit.   'All-Russian Aeroclub') was established. In 1910, the Imperial Russian Army sent several officers to France for training as pilots. Later in the same year the Imperial Russian Army purchased a number of French and British aeroplanes and began training its first military pilots. Also in 1910, one biplane

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1672-512: The S-42 "Clipper", used by Pan Am for transatlantic flights. Meanwhile, Sikorsky also continued his earlier work on vertical flight while living in Nichols, Connecticut . On February 14, 1929, he filed an application to patent a "direct lift" amphibian aircraft which used compressed air to power a direct lift "propeller" and two smaller propellers for thrust. On June 27, 1931, Sikorsky filed for

1748-629: The American War Department dated August 24, 1916 stated that, "The great majority of Russian machines are very dangerous to fly, due to the lack of proper over-hauling and having been tinkered with by inexperienced men. Lack of spare parts induced the Russians to fit magnetos and sparking systems to motors for which they were not built, and this makes the wear and tear excessive all around." The Imperial Russian Air Service, in common with other World War I air services, struggled to find

1824-726: The Bulgarian Army which was composed of 10 civil volunteers (4 pilots and 6 technicians) and commanded by S. Schetinin In 1913 Igor Sikorsky built the first four-engine biplane , the Russky Vityaz , and his famous bomber aircraft , the Ilya Muromets . The same year Dmitry Grigorovich built several "M-type" flying boats for the Imperial Russian Navy . In 1914 Polish aviator Jan Nagórski conducted

1900-467: The Czarist government relied heavily on imported engines and airframes from France and Britain. Russia's aircraft production slightly outpaced her Austrian opponent, who stayed in the war one year longer, produced about 5,000 aircraft and 4,000 engines between 1914 and 1918. Of course, the output of Russia and Austria-Hungary pale in comparison to the 20,000 aircraft and 38,000 engines produced by Italy and

1976-735: The French forces in Russia, during the Russian Civil War . Seeing little opportunity for himself as an aircraft designer in war-torn Europe, and particularly Russia, ravaged by the Bolshevik Revolution and Russian Civil War , he emigrated to the United States, arriving in New York on March 30, 1919. In the U.S., Sikorsky first worked as a school teacher and a lecturer, while looking for an opportunity to work in

2052-625: The French government stopped subsidizing military orders, whereupon he decided to move to the United States. On March 24, 1919 he left France on the ocean liner Lorraine arriving in New York City on March 30, 1919. With financial backing from his sister Olga, Sikorsky returned to Paris, the center of the aviation world at the time, in 1909. Sikorsky met with aviation pioneers, to ask them questions about aircraft and flying. In May 1909, he returned to Russia and began designing his first helicopter, which he began testing in July 1909. Powered by

2128-571: The Ilya Muromets was introduced to the Imperial Russian Air Service and on 10 December 1914, the Russians formed their first ten-bomber squadron , slowly increasing the number to 20 by mid-1916. Operations with the heavy bombers began on 12 February 1915 with a raid on German frontline positions. German Fighter Pilots often were reluctant to attack Ilya Muromets in the air due to their defensive firepower including

2204-526: The Imperial Aero Club of Russia in 1911. During a demonstration of the S-5, the engine quit and Sikorsky was forced to make a crash landing to avoid a wall. It was discovered that a mosquito in the gasoline had been drawn into the carburetor , starving the engine of fuel. The close call convinced Sikorsky of the need for an aircraft that could continue flying if it lost an engine. His next aircraft,

2280-685: The Imperial Russian Air Service became a separate branch of the army directly under the command of the Stavka (commander-in-chief's HQ). In 1916 the size and force of naval aviation was increased, the Black Sea Fleet had two seaplane carriers (" Император Николай I " and " Император Александр I ") and fourteen M-9 seaplanes During World War I, 269 Russian aviators were awarded the St. George military decorations ( St George Sword , Order of St. George or Cross of St. George ), 5 aviators were awarded

2356-701: The Lord's Prayer and The Invisible Encounter ). Summarizing his beliefs, in the latter he wrote: Our concerns sink into insignificance when compared with the eternal value of human personality — a potential child of God which is destined to triumph over life, pain, and death. No one can take this sublime meaning of life away from us, and this is the one thing that matters. Imperial Russian Air Service The Imperial Russian Air Service ( Russian (pre-reform) : Императорскій военно-воздушный флотъ , romanized :  Imperatorskiy voyenno-vozdushnyy flot" , lit.   'Emperor's Military Air Fleet')

Sikorsky Ilya Muromets - Misplaced Pages Continue

2432-404: The Russian Empire issued an order to arm aeroplanes with 7.62mm Madsen light machine guns and 7.71mm Lewis light machine guns In March 1915 naval aviation was established. The Imperial Russian Navy received two vessels and six seaplanes (one armed steamship " Император Николай I " which was converted into a seaplane carrier for five M-5 seaplanes and one cruiser " Алмаз " which

2508-608: The Russian pioneer to a certain degree. The Russian government and Sikorsky himself sold the design and production license to the British and French governments. The Germans tried to copy its design, using the fragments of the Ilya Muromets they had shot down over their territory in September 1916. By the end of 1916, the design was generally believed to be at the end of its development cycle, with ensuing modifications to individual aircraft, such as additional armor and weapons, making

2584-538: The S-21 Russky Vityaz , which he initially called Le Grand when fitted with just two engines, then the Bolshoi Baltisky (The Great Baltic) when fitted with four engines in two "push-pull" pairs, and finally Russki Vityaz in its four engine all tractor-engined configuration. He also served as the test pilot for its first flight on May 13, 1913. In recognition for his accomplishment, he

2660-562: The S-29, slow compared to military aircraft of 1918, proved to be a "make or break" moment for Sikorsky's funding. In 1928, Sikorsky became a naturalized citizen of the United States. The Sikorsky Manufacturing Company moved to Stratford, Connecticut in 1929. It became a part of the United Aircraft and Transport Corporation (now United Technologies Corporation ) in July of that year. The company manufactured flying boats , such as

2736-722: The S-6 held three passengers and was selected as the winner of the Moscow aircraft exhibition held by the Russian Army in February 1912. In early 1912, Igor Sikorsky became Chief Engineer of the aircraft division for the Russian Baltic Railroad Car Works ( Russko-Baltiisky Vagonny Zavod or R-BVZ ) in Saint Petersburg . His work at R-BVZ included the construction of the first four- cylinder aircraft,

2812-560: The State Duma. During an Imperial military review at Krasnoye Selo in July, Nicholas II decorated and christened the Ilya Muromets Type B Military Prototype, No. 128, the "Kievsky." During testing, the Ilya Muromets were fitted with both skis and pontoons in anticipation of new variants being produced. If it had not been for World War I, the Ilya Muromets would probably have started passenger flights that same year. With

2888-657: The U.S., bringing six-year-old Tania with them. Sikorsky married Elisabeth Semion (1903–1995) in 1924, in New York. Sikorsky and Elisabeth had four sons; Sergei, Nikolai, Igor Jr. and George. Sikorsky died at his home in Easton, Connecticut , on October 26, 1972, and is buried in Saint John the Baptist Russian Orthodox Cemetery located on Nichols Avenue in Stratford . In 1966, Sikorsky

2964-630: The United States in 1919 because of the Russian Revolution , Sikorsky founded the Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation in 1923, and developed the first of Pan American Airways ' ocean-crossing flying boats in the 1930s, including the Sikorsky S-42 "Flying Clipper". In 1939, Sikorsky designed and flew the Vought-Sikorsky VS-300 , the first viable American helicopter, which pioneered the single main rotor and

3040-470: The ability to aim both gun and aircraft simultaneously was a great advantage in aerial combat. In late 1915, Naval Lieutenant Victor Dybovsky of the 20th KAO invented a system of cam plates mounted on an engine's crankshaft that would prevent a machine gun from holing an aeroplane's propeller. Static tests at the Lux Aircraft Works proved its feasibility by November 1915; towards the end of

3116-546: The academic year, Sikorsky again accompanied his father to Germany in the summer of 1908, where he learned of the accomplishments of the Wright brothers ' Flyer and Ferdinand von Zeppelin 's rigid airships . Sikorsky later said about this event: "Within twenty-four hours, I decided to change my life's work. I would study aviation." By the start of World War I in 1914, Sikorsky's airplane research and production business in Kyiv

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3192-487: The aircraft in October 1909, after he determined that he could learn nothing more from the design. In February 1910, he undertook to build a second helicopter, and his first airplane. By the spring, helicopter No. 2 could lift its weight of 400 pounds (180 kg), but not the additional weight of an operator. I had learned enough to recognize that with the existing state of the art, engines, materials, and – most of all –

3268-512: The aircraft too heavy and not suitable for operational use. Continual changes in the field as well as the factory led to many aircraft being redesignated as a new variant. After the armistice between Russia and the Central Powers about 30 Ilya Muromets were captured and destroyed. One Ilya Muromets S-26 D-1 was taken by Polish forces in the city of Babruysk . In October of 1917, Ukrainian forces acquired 16 Ilya Muromets aircraft near

3344-614: The aircraft won first prize for its young designer, builder and pilot in the military competition at Saint Petersburg. In 1913, the Sikorsky-designed Russky Vityaz (S-21) became the first successful four-engine aircraft to take flight. He also designed and built the Ilya Muromets (S-22 – S-27) family of four-engine aircraft, an airliner which he redesigned to be the world's first four-engine bomber when World War I broke out. After immigrating to

3420-613: The aviation industry. In 1932, he joined the faculty of the University of Rhode Island to form an aeronautical engineering program and remained with the university until 1948. He also lectured at the University of Bridgeport . In 1923, Sikorsky formed the Sikorsky Manufacturing Company in Roosevelt, New York . He was helped by several former Russian military officers. Among Sikorsky's chief supporters

3496-449: The beginning of World War I, Sikorsky was encouraged by the results of the proving flights to redesign the aircraft to become the "Military Ilia Mourometz, Type V, the world's first purpose-designed heavier than air bomber. The new heavy bomber was slightly smaller and lighter than the Type A. Internal racks carried up to 800 kg of bombs, and positions for up to nine machine guns were added for self-defense in various locations, including

3572-509: The beginning of the war the basic Russian unit was the Otryad (or Squadron). Originally, these consisted of only six aircraft, but this was soon increased to ten, with two machines held in reserve. These Otryads were put together into Groups of three or four and, like their German counterparts on the Western Front, moved to strategic points on the Front where and when they were needed. Even larger groups of aircraft called Istrebitelnyi Divisyon (fighter wings) were attached to each Field Army. As

3648-606: The city of Vinnytsia however only six of these were serviceable. During summer of 1918 the Ukrainian State counted four Ilya Murmomets aircraft in its inventory. A few remaining aircraft were used by the newly formed Soviet Air Forces during the Russian Civil War as trainers and transports. Some sources claim that Ilya Muromets aircraft were also used by the White Army during the conflict. From 1921 to 1922 Ilya Muromets were used as civil airliners on routes from Moscow to Sevastopol (via Kharkiv ) and from Sarapul to Yekaterinburg . One Ilya Muromets S-22 replica exists in

3724-442: The extreme tail. The Muromets (in its S-25 Geh-2 variant, March 1916) was the first aircraft in history to incorporate a tail gunner position . The engines were protected with 5 mm-thick armor. The military version was designed expressly for long-range flying in both bombing and reconnaissance roles. When WWI broke out, only two Ilya Muromets bombers were completed out of an initial production run of ten aircraft. In August 1914,

3800-425: The first aerial ramming aircraft attack in the history of aviation Later, Lt. Vyacheslav Tkachov became the very first Russian pilot who shot down an enemy aircraft with a handgun. He attacked a German "Albatros" and shot the enemy pilot. In December 1914 a squadron of 10 Ilya Muromets bombers was formed and used against the German and Austro-Hungarian armies. 17 January 1915 – The Ministry of War of

3876-484: The first ever flights in the Arctic looking for the lost expedition of polar explorer Georgy Sedov . At the beginning of World War I , Russia's air service had the largest air fleet in the Entente, followed by France (263 aeroplanes against 156 respectively and 14 airships ). After the war began, aviators were rearmed with 7.63mm Mauser C96 , because German semi-automatic pistols were more effective weapons than standard 7.62mm Nagant revolvers. At least

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3952-478: The first to develop defensive tactics for a single bomber engaged in an air combat with several enemy fighters. The Ilya Muromets performed more than 400 sorties and dropped 65 tons of bombs during the war. By 1917, attrition from constant flying had reduced the bombing fleet substantially and only four bombers remained at the front line; the other Ilya Muromets were relegated to trainer duties. The heavy bombers of other participants appeared in 1916, all resembling

4028-422: The former Imperial Russian Air Service was reformed into the subsequent Soviet Air Forces . The origins of Russian aviation go back to theoretical projects of the 1880s by pioneer Russian scientists such as Nikolai Kibalchich and Alexander Mozhaysky . During the 1890s aviation innovation was further advanced by Konstantin Tsiolkovsky . In 1902–1903 during military maneuvers in the Kiev Military District ,

4104-436: The fuselage for measuring climbs and descents. Later, in the bomber variants, a drift indicator and elementary bombsight was added to aid bombing. In 1913 the Ilya Muromets No. 107 flew for the first time, and on 11 February 1914, the second prototype (factory airframe 128) took off for its first demonstration flight with 16 passengers aboard, marking a record for number of passengers carried. From 30 June to 12 July 1914, it set

4180-400: The latter encounter. However, production of the interrupter gear was never carried out. Instead, Dybovsky was posted to England to inspect aircraft being constructed by the Royal Flying Corps . While in Britain he worked on a true synchronization gear with the British inventor Scarff; this became the "Scarff-Dibovski" system used by the British. Thus it was that by April 1917, Russian had only

4256-549: The lower wing's leading edge to create the Russky Vityaz — which had played an important role in the development of Russian aviation and the multi-engine aircraft industries of the world. The Ilya Muromets was first conceived and built as a luxurious aircraft. It was the first aircraft to have an insulated passenger saloon , containing wicker chairs, a bedroom, a lounge, as well as the first airborne toilet. The aircraft also had heating and electrical lighting . The S-22 cockpit had sufficient space allowing several persons to observe

4332-505: The month, Morane-Saulnier G serial no. MS567 was forwarded to the 30th KAO for field testing. Poruchik Mikhail Shadsky flew test flights on both 9 and 29 December; cold thickened the machine gun's lubricant both times, preventing it from firing. When testing restarted in April 1916, Shadsky had more success. During April and May, he engaged the enemy about ten times. He shot down Austro-Hungarian aircraft on May 23 and 24 1916, but crashed to his death and his machine's destruction after

4408-488: The more than 45,000 aircraft produced in Germany. In addition to construction problems the Imperial Russian Air Service faced great difficulties in keeping the aircraft they did have in the air. Because it was so difficult to get new machines in a timely manner and because the Russians faced a shortage of aircraft for such a large front, the Russian high command kept out of date aircraft flying as long as possible. Thus, Russian pilots flew obsolete machines in combat throughout

4484-427: The pilot. Openings on both sides of the fuselage permitted mechanics to climb out onto the lower wings to service the engines during flight. A hatch on the left side provided an entry to the main cabin, behind the cockpit. The main cabin featured two large windows on each side. Further back was a private cabin that included a berth, a small table, and a cabinet. Lighting was provided by a wind-driven generator and heating

4560-421: The shortage of money and lack of experience... I would not be able to produce a successful helicopter at that time. Sikorsky's first aircraft of his own design, the S-1 used a 15 hp Anzani 3-cylinder fan engine in a pusher configuration , that could not lift the aircraft. His second design called the S-2 was powered by a 25 hp Anzani engine in a tractor configuration and first flew on June 3, 1910 at

4636-417: The unique tail gun position, and the difficulty in bringing down such a large aircraft. Once engaged, small fighters also found that they were buffeted by propeller wash of the four large engines. On 12 September 1916 ( Julian calendar ), the Russians lost their first Ilya Muromets in a fight with four German Albatros , three of which it managed to shoot down. This was also the only loss to enemy action during

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4712-439: The war in the face of much better enemy aircraft. The fact that so many obsolescent machines remained in service produced Otryads that were an eclectic mix of aircraft; some front line, others nearly so, and some that should not have been flying. With so many different engines and airframes from French, British and Russian factories, trying to keep the machines flying was a constant challenge for Imperial ground crews. One report from

4788-410: The war progressed, aviation detachments were grouped into larger units: In spite of Russia's need for airframes and engines, only about 5,600 aeroplanes were built in Russia before October 1917. Much of this was due to the fact that Russian industry could not keep pace with demand. Imperial Russia did not possess the manufacturing capacity to produce engines and airframes in the numbers needed. Thus,

4864-403: The war; three others were damaged in combat, but managed to return to base to be repaired. 83 Ilya Muromets bombers were built for the Russian forces between 1913 and 1918. They recorded a number of firsts in the history of military aviation, like bombing from heavy bombers, performing bomber group raids on enemy targets, night bombing , and photographic bomb damage assessment. They were also

4940-402: Was a Russian–American aviation pioneer in both helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft . His first success came with the Sikorsky S-2 , the second aircraft of his design and construction. His fifth airplane, the S-5 , won him national recognition and F.A.I. pilot's license number 64. His S-6-A received the highest award at the 1912 Moscow Aviation Exhibition, and in the fall of that year

5016-496: Was a physician who did not work professionally. She is sometimes called Zinaida Sikorsky. While homeschooling young Igor, she gave him a great love for art, especially in the life and work of Leonardo da Vinci , and the stories of Jules Verne . In 1900, at age 11, he accompanied his father to Germany and through conversations with his father, became interested in natural sciences . After returning home, Sikorsky began to experiment with model flying machines, and by age 12, he had made

5092-424: Was an air force founded in 1912 for Imperial Russia . The Air Service operated for five years and only saw combat in World War I before being reorganized and renamed in 1917 following the Russian Revolution . With the onset of the Russian Civil War , some former IRAS pilots joined Alexander Kolchak on the White Russian side, but the White movement never created an official air force. Most of what remained of

5168-433: Was awarded an honorary degree in engineering from Saint Petersburg Polytechnical Institute in 1914. Sikorsky took the experience from building the Russky Vityaz to develop the S-22 Ilya Muromets airliner. Due to outbreak of World War I , he redesigned it as the world's first four-engined bomber , for which he was decorated with the Order of St. Vladimir . After World War I, Igor Sikorsky briefly became an engineer for

5244-408: Was built in Saint Petersburg which was intended to be used by the Army as a reconnaissance aircraft , but the aircraft lost in a competition against the French Farman III in 1911, and never entered service On 12 August 1912 the Imperial Russian Air Service, formerly part of the Engineer Corps , became a separate branch of the army. During the First Balkan War there was a Russian air unit in

5320-441: Was composer Sergei Rachmaninoff , who introduced himself by writing a check for US$ 5,000 (equivalent to $ 89,414 in 2023). Although his prototype was damaged in its first test flight, Sikorsky persuaded his reluctant backers to invest another $ 2,500. With the additional funds, he produced the S-29 , one of the first twin-engine aircraft in the U.S., with a capacity for 14 passengers and a speed of 115 mph. The performance of

5396-410: Was flourishing, and his factory made bombers during the war. After the Russian Revolution in 1917, Igor Sikorsky fled his homeland in early 1918, because the Bolsheviks threatened to shoot him for being "the Tsar 's friend and a very popular person". He moved to France where he was offered a contract for the design of a new, more powerful Muromets -type plane. But in November 1918 the war ended, and

5472-544: Was inducted into the International Air & Space Hall of Fame . Sikorsky's and Andrei Tupolev 's professional careers were covered in the 1979 Soviet biopic The Poem of Wings ( Russian : Поэма о крыльях ) where Sikorsky was portrayed by Yury Yakovlev . A working model of Sikorsky Ilya Muromets was recreated for filming. The Sikorsky Memorial Bridge , which carries the Merritt Parkway across

5548-676: Was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame and the Junior Achievement U.S. Business Hall of Fame in 1987. In October 2011, one of the streets in Kyiv was renamed for Sikorsky. The decision was made by the City Council at the request of the U.S. Embassy in Ukraine , which opened its new office on that street. The Sikorsky's family house in the city's historical center is preserved to this day but

5624-506: Was named National Technical University of Ukraine "Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute" after its former student and outstanding aircraft designer. On March 22, 2018, the Kyiv City Council officially renamed Kyiv International Airport to "Igor Sikorsky Kyiv International Airport Zhuliany". Sikorsky was a deeply religious Russian Orthodox Christian and authored two religious and philosophical books ( The Message of

5700-509: Was rebuilt with a place for one seaplane). The naval aviation section was not merged into the IRAS and became a part of Black Sea Fleet On 31 March 1915 the Russian pilot Alexander Kazakov successfully performed the second ramming attack, using a Morane-Saulnier G as his piloted projectile. Summer 1915 – petrol bombs (glass bottles containing a flammable mixture of gasoline and mazut ) were used by pilots to attack ground targets In 1915

5776-409: Was supplied by two long engine exhaust pipes that passed through the corners of the cabin. Despite many advancements, the flight instruments on the Ilya Muromets were primitive. They included four tachometers , one per engine, a compass , a crude altimeter and airspeed indicator, two glass U-shaped tubes and a ball for bank indication, and a series of horizontal bars situated vertically on the nose of

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