Sikorsky H-4 Hoverfly
The Sikorsky R-4 Hoverfly was the first helicopter to enter large-scale production and the first used operationally by the US military. Its rescue missions in Burma during the Second World War demonstrated that a helicopter could reach casualties where fixed-wing aircraft could not. The small piston-powered machine had a simple tail rotor and fabric-covered fuselage, but it changed military rescue forever. Every modern medevac helicopter traces part of its heritage to this pioneering type.
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Did you know?
The Sikorsky R-4 Hoverfly was the first mass-produced helicopter, proving in Burma during World War Two that helicopters could reach casualties fixed-wing aircraft couldn't.
Specifications
| Length | 10.2 m (33 ft) |
|---|---|
| Height | 3.8 m (12 ft) |
| Rotor diameter | 11.6 m (38 ft) |
| Maximum passengers | 1 |
| Persons on board | 2 |
| Crew | 1 |
| Maximum take-off weight | 1.1 t |
| Range | 130 NM (241 km) |
| Maximum speed | 80 kt (148 km/h) |
| Service ceiling | 12,000 ft (3,658 m) |
| Optimum ceiling | 6,000 ft (1,829 m) |
| Engines | 1x Warner R-550 |
| Units built | 131 |
Curated by CatchFlights from manufacturer documents, ICAO Doc 8643 and reference works; values are left out where no source could confirm them. Sources are listed on our credits page.
In CatchFlights
In CatchFlights the Sikorsky H-4 Hoverfly starts as a Legendary catch. The tier is an editorial judgement of how special a sighting of this type is. The more often you catch it, the closer it moves to Common for you. The first catch of a legendary type pays a bonus of its own.
A catch counts for the manufacturer Sikorsky, the H-4 Hoverfly family and the model in your collection, and the daily Type Rating quiz asks about the types of each family.
Catch it yourself.CatchFlights shows the aircraft flying near you on a radar, so a type like this one is only a catch away when it passes overhead. Explore CatchFlights.
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