Sikorsky R-6

R-6, Hoverfly II

R-6A Hoverfly II at the USAF Museum
Role	Helicopter
National origin	United States
Manufacturer	Sikorsky Aircraft
Designer	Igor Sikorsky
First flight	15 October 1943
Introduction	1945
Status	Several preserved in museums
Primary users	United States Navy Royal Air Force
Number built	225
Developed from	Sikorsky R-4

The Sikorsky R-6 was an American-built 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.^[1] 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 compared with 82 mph 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). It was initially intended to pass 150 R-6s to the Royal Air Force (RAF), but delays caused by the switch of production from Sikorsky's factory at Stratford, Connecticut to Nash-Kelvinator at Detroit Michigan meant that only 27 R-6As were actually delivered to the RAF as the Hoverfly II.^[2] 15 of these were passed on to the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm (FAA).^[3]

Some of the RAF examples were allotted to 657 Squadron RAF for proving the use of helicopters in the Army Co-operation role, and two external stretchers could be fitted to the fuselage. 657 Squadron operated their Hoverfly IIs as Air Observation Posts, spotting for Army artillery units. The Hoverfly IIs remained in operation until April 1951, and one squadron example was displayed at the September 1950 Farnborough Air Show.^[4]

The FAA used their Hoverfly IIs in the training and liaison roles. Naval units to use the type included 771 Squadron from December 1945, followed by 705 Squadron.

The USAAF operated their R-6s in secondary roles and the survivors were redesignated H-6A in 1948. The USN examples were designated the HOS-1 and a further 64 were intended to be transferred from the USAAF, but this did not take place.

Disposals of surplus military Model 49s were made in the civil market in the late 1940s but none now remain in operation. Four are currently displayed in US museums.^[5]

Variants

A U.S. Navy HOS-1 in January 1947.

The R-6 was the basis for the Doman LZ-1A, which used the fuselage of a R-6A Hoverfly II. This example exhibited at the New England Air Museum at Windsor Locks, Connecticut in 2005

XR-6: prototype powered by a 225 h.p. Lycoming O-435-7 (one)
XR-6A: as XR-6 but powered by the 240 h.p. Franklin O-405-9 (five) of which three to the US Navy as XHOS-1
YR-6A: as XR-6A with small changes (26) built by Nash-Kelvinator
R-6A: production model (193) built by Nash-Kelvinator of which 36 to US Navy as HOS-1 and 27 to the RAF as Hoverfly II
R-6B: projected variant with 225 h.p. Lycoming O-435-7, but not proceeded with
XR-7: projected development of the XR-6 with a 240 hp Franklin O-405-9 engine, not built.
Doman LZ-1A: One R-6A modified as a testbed with a Doman-designed hingless rotor blades and self-lubricating rotor hub.

Aircraft on display

43-45462 – R-6A on static display at the Museo Militar de Aviacion in Santa Lucía Air Force Base Num 1.^[6]
43-45473 – R-6A on static display at the United States Army Aviation Museum at Fort Rucker near Ozark, Alabama.^[7]
43-45379 – R-6A on static display at the National Museum of the United States Air Force in Dayton, Ohio.^[8]
43-45480 – LZ-1A on static display at the New England Air Museum in Windsor Locks, Connecticut. It was converted by Doman from the R-6.^[9]
43-45531^[10] – R-6 under restoration at the American Helicopter Museum and Education Center in West Chester, Pennsylvania.^[11]

Specifications (R-6A)

Data from Thetford, 1977

General characteristics

Crew: one
Capacity: one observer
Length: 47 ft 11 in (14.61 m)
Gross weight: 2,600 lb (1,179 kg)
Powerplant: 1 × Franklin O-405-9 piston, 240 hp (180 kW)
Main rotor diameter: 38 ft 0 in (11.58 m)

Performance

Maximum speed: 100 mph (161 km/h; 87 kn)
Service ceiling: 10,000 ft (3,000 m)

Notes

↑ Swanborough, 1963, p.529
↑ Butler, 2004, p.278
↑ Thetford, 1977, p.422
↑ Thetford, 1976, p.603
↑ Ogden, 2007, p.602
↑ "Sikorsky R-6A Hoverfly II". stanakshot. 26 April 2017. Retrieved 29 May 2017.
↑ "Airframe Dossier - Sikorsky-Nash-Kelvinator R-6A, s/n 43-45473 US, c/r N5282N". Aerial Visuals. AerialVisuals.ca. Retrieved 15 April 2017.
↑ "Sikorsky R-6A Hoverfly II". National Museum of the US Air Force. 20 April 2015. Retrieved 14 April 2017.
↑ "Sikorsky R-6 Doman Conversion (LZ-1A)". New England Air Museum. New England Air Museum. Retrieved 14 April 2017.
↑ Ogden, 2007
↑ "Aircraft Being Restored". American Helicopter Museum & Education Center. American Helicopter Museum & Education Center. Retrieved 14 April 2017.

References

Butler, Phil (2004). Air Arsenal North America. Midland Publishing. ISBN 1-85780-163-6.
Ogden, Bob (2007). Aviation Museums and Collections of North America. Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd. ISBN 0-85130-385-4.
Swanborough, F.G. (1963). United States Military Aircraft since 1909. Putnam & Company Ltd.
Thetford, Owen (1976). Aircraft of the Royal Air Force since 1918. Putnam & Company Ltd. ISBN 0-370-10056-5.
Thetford, Owen (1977). British Naval Aircraft since 1912. Putnam & Company Ltd. ISBN 0-370-30021-1.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Sikorsky R-6.

Sikorsky aircraft
Fixed-wing aircraft (company designations)	S-1 S-2 S-3 S-4 S-5 S-6 S-7 S-8 S-9 S-10 S-11 S-12 S-13 S-14 S-15 S-16 S-17 S-18 S-19 S-20 S-21 S-22 S-23 S-24 S-25 S-26 S-27 S-28 S-29-A S-30 S-31 S-32 S-33 S-34 S-35 S-36 S-37 S-38 S-39 S-40 S-41 S-42 S-43 VS-44 S-45
Fixed-wing aircraft (military designations)	C-6 C-28 JRS JR2S PS RS XBLR-3 XPBS XSS XV-2
Helicopters (company designations)	VS-300 (S-46) S-47 S-48 S-49 S-50 S-51 S-52 S-53 S-54 S-55 S-56 S-57 S-58 S-59 S-60 S-61 S-61L/N S-61R S-62 S-63 S-64 S-65 S-66 S-67 S-68 S-69 S-70 S-71 S-72 S-74 S-75 S-76 S-80 S-92 S-97 S-300 S-333 S-434
Helicopters (military designations)	SH-3 HH-3E/F R-4 H-5 H-6 H-18 H-19 H-34 CH-37 XH-39 HH-52A CH-53 CH-53E CH-53K CH-54 HLH HH-60G HH-60J MH-60R/S SH-60B/F SH-60J/K UH-60 VH-60 RAH-66 H-92 CH-124 CH-148
Experimental aircraft	Cypher Cypher II Firefly X2 XBLR-3 XV-2

United States helicopter designations, Army/Air Force and Tri-Service systems

Numerical sequence used by USAAC/USAAF/USAF 1941–present; US Army 1948–1956 and 1962–present; US Navy 1962–present

Main sequence
(1941–1962)

Prefix R-, 1941–1948	R-1 R-2 R-3 R-4 R-5 R-6 R-7 R-8 R-9 R-10 R-11 R-12 R-13 R-14 R-15 R-16
Prefix H-, 1948–1962	H-5 H-6 H-9 H-10 H-11 H-12 H-13/J H-15 H-16 H-17 H-18 H-19 H-20 H-21 H-22 H-23 H-24 H-25 H-26 H-27 H-28 H-29 H-30 H-31 H-32 H-33 H-34 H-35 H-36¹ H-37 H-38¹ H-39 H-40 H-41 H-42 H-43 H-44¹ H-45¹

Main joint sequence
(1962–present)

1962 redesignations	OH-13/UH-13J UH-19 CH-21 OH-23 UH-25 CH-34 CH-37 HH-43
New designations	CH-46/HH-46/UH-46 CH-47 UH-48 XH-49 QH-50 XH-51 HH-52 CH-53/HH-53/MH-53/CH-53E/CH-53K CH-54 TH-55 AH-56 TH-57 OH-58 XH-59 UH-60/SH-60/HH-60/MH-60 YUH-61 XCH-62 YAH-63 AH-64 HH-65 RAH-66 TH-67 MH-68 H-69¹ ARH-70 VH-71 UH-72 H-73 to H-89¹ MH-90 H-91¹ VH-92

1962 redesignations
reusing old numbers

¹ Not assigned

USN helicopter designations pre-1962

Helicopter, Anti-submarine

Bell	HSL
Sikorsky	HSS-1 HSS-2

Helicopter, Crane

McDonnell	HCH

Helicopter, Observation

Convertawings	HOC
Hiller	HOE
Gyrodyne	HOG
Kaman	HOK
Sikorsky	HOS HO2S HO3S HO4S HO5S

Helicopter, Trainer pre-1948

Sikorsky	HNS

Helicopter, Trainer 1948-1962

Hiller	HTE
Kaman	HTK
Bell	HTL

Helicopter, Transport 1944-1962

Boeing Vertol	HRB
McDonnell	HRH
Piasecki	HRP
Sikorsky	HRS HR2S HR3S

Helicopter, Utility pre-1949

McDonnell	HJD
McDonnell	HJH
Piasecki	HJP
Sikorsky	HJS

Helicopter, Utility 1950-1962

Kaman	HUK HU2K
Bell:	HUL
McCulloch	HUM
Piasecki	HUP
Sikorsky	HUS HU2S

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