Igor Sikorsky's Impact On Aviation

Igor Ivanovich Sikorsky created many aircraft designs in his time, but, his most famous work was the first ever fully controllable helicopter. The first flyable helicopter introduced a whole new dynamic to aviation and opened new opportunities for civil and military operations. Because of Sikorsky, whole new breeds of aircraft were born. But, before the first choppers took flight, Igor faced quite a few obstacles before creating his magnum opus. Despite his hardships, Sikorsky persevered and made a lasting impact on aviation that is still felt today.
Igor Sikorsky was born and raised in Russia around the 1880s. In his early life, he was homeschooled by his mother where he gained interest in art, the natural sciences, and Leonardo da Vinci’s attempts at flying machines. Inspired by Leonardo’s work, he created a small crude helicopter that was powered solely by rubber bands and could lift off the ground when he was just twelve years old. One summer in 1909 Igor went to Germany with his father where he learned about
During his academic career, Sikorsky came up with the idea for an aircraft that used a vertical propeller instead of the traditional horizontal design, a helicopter. After completing his studies, Igor set out to make his helicopter a reality. However, after a few failed attempts, he temporarily gave up on the idea due to the resources and technology at the time not meeting the requirements needed for such experiments. Instead, he started designing new airplanes, something he knew would work. One notable airplane created by the young engineer was the S-22 also known as the “Ilya Muromets”, a four-engine powered aircraft that was first of its kind. The Russian military noticed this new breakthrough and saw the potential advantages in a multi-engine aircraft. So, the Russian military ordered more to be built so they could be used as bombers during World War