Sikorsky R-4B helicopter in WWII RCAF service

[sapper740]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Crewman
[B]Hello,

Thank you very much for corrections. As I can see there is a controversy what happened with one R-4B ordered by the British in the batch of 45 helicopters bought for the RAF in March 1944. Sometimes various authors write that one of those R-4s was handed over to the RCAF. But there are also controversies as to the serial number of this helicopter. It came from the batch serialled 43-46500 – 43-46599, if I am not mistaken. Today in Canada is one specimen serialled 43-46565 but its history is unknown. Does your book contain an info what was RAF or RCAF serial for this Canadian R-4B? The British serialled R-4Bs as KK and three digits or KL and three digits.

Best regards

C.

Of course, Larry Milberry was quoting the "official" record of aircraft taken on strength during the war. There were a few aircraft types such as the Defiant, Typhoon, and Beaufighter that were flown by Canadians but remained British property. However, converting over from one fixed wing aircraft to another is a relatively simple task; converting from fixed wing to rotary is quite another and any Canadian personnel trained to fly helicopters would have had to attend a flying school which would have almost certainly created an official record of the training. But with the intermingling of aircrew and aircraft from throughout the Commonwealth during WW II, who knows what the "unofficial" record truly is?
You might want to check Sikorsky's production records, if they still exist and see when R-4 43-46565 was manufactured. Do you know where this R-4 is displayed? You might want to contact them for a history of the helicopter.
Thanks for creating an interesting thread about a little known aspect of WW II aviation.


CHIMO!