Igor Sikorsky Weekend

Igor Sikorsky

Igor Sikorsky (1889-1972) was a Russian aviation pioneer who made major strides in advancing aircraft development in the first half of the last century. In 1909, he began his prolific career at a very young age by experimenting with helicopters before turning his attention to first mono- and then biplanes which caught the public’s attention due to their stunning technical capabilities for the time.

Sikorsky mainly made a name for himself by designing the S-21, a plane which was dubbed “Russky Vityaz” in 1913 (the first four-engine fixed wing aircraft ever), and its follow-up version the S-22 “Ilya Muromets” in 1914, an unusual biplane of enormous size and power, capable of carrying loads which were unheard of and thought to be impossible by the competition. At a time when most planes were barely capable of carrying only the pilot, his planes were a huge technological advance with their impressive flight capabilities.

Although initially intended as airliners, featuring a roomy cabin where people could even stand upright during the flight, he was forced to change the nature of his creations and adapt them for military purposes as World War I approached. His bomb and machine gun-equipped “Ilya Muromets” (named after a famous Russian epic hero) was of invaluable service to Russia during the war, for which the Russian Emperor Nicholas II personally awarded Sikorsky an honorary medal.

After the revolution he immigrated to the United States where he went on to become a driving force in American aviation as well, designing airliners such as the S-29-A and even flying boats such as the S-42 (used by Pan Am for transatlantic flights), both of which set new standards for these types of airships. In 1939 he returned to his original passion for vertical take-off aircraft, when he invented the Vought Sikorsky VS-300, the first successful single lifting rotor helicopter in the United States. Sikorsky will be remembered as a very productive inventor and engineer whose creations would constantly push the boundaries of aerial technology.

Ignor Sikorsky Weekend

Pilots!

We’ll be celebrating the birthday of Russian aviator Igor Sikorsky with cool in-game rewards! We'll be doubling the earned experience for every aircraft in the game throughout the weekend: x4 experience for the first three victories of the day in every aircraft.

Event Begins: 23:00 PDT on May 23, 2013

Event Ends: 23:00 PDT on May 26, 2013