Ihor Sikorsky
Meet the aviation pioneer whose groundbreaking inventions have revolutionized the world of flight
By Alfred EisenstaedtLIFE Photo Collection
Since his youth, Ihor Sikorsky was a true creator. Studying in Paris, he shortly came back to Kyiv and joined Kyiv Polytechnic Institute. It was in Kyiv that he designed his first aircraft and developed his own metrics for aircraft flying abilities and qualities.
Sikorsky created some of the main inventions that opened up a new era in the aircraft industry. These were the first-ever aircrafts with multiple motors, and the four-motor passenger airplane.
Time Covers - The 50S (1953-11-16) by Boris ArtzybasheffLIFE Photo Collection
The four-motor passenger airplane Illya Muromets, named after the legendary early Slavic history figure, broke several records. It became the first in carrying capacity, number of passengers, duration of flight, and height reached. This type of plane was also used in World War I.
Upon his migration to the USA, Ihor Sikorsky established an aircraft manufacturing firm. His main inventions also include the first-ever transcontinental passenger airplane, the first turbine helicopters, and amphibious helicopters.
Inventors: Igor Sikorsky (1963) by Alfred EisenstaedtLIFE Photo Collection
In the late 1930s, the demand for large flying boats began to decline. Sikorsky, who had always been fascinated by helicopters, decided to return to his first love. He started working on advanced helicopter designs, despite very little information about them.
Ihor Sikorsky became a world-famous aviation engineer, opening the sky for millions of people around the world. Today, Kyiv Polytechnic Institute, one of Ukraine's biggest technical universities, bears the legendary constructor's name.
Text: based on text by Anastasiya Denysenko
Original text from the album of the Prominent Ukrainians project, published jointly by Pictoric Illustrators Club, Pavlo Gudimov Ya Gallery Art Center, Artbook Publishing House and Ukraine Crisis Media Center.
