Sikorsky R-4 roundup

retroaviation · **Posted:** Mon May 04, 2009 7:13 pm

It's not the CAF's to sell. It belongs to the "Museum" now. They don't sell anything. I tried several times to work a sale, trade, or whatever, with that machine when I was there, but it never got board approval.
Frustrating.

Gary

mrp · **Joined:** Tue Dec 14, 2004 8:49 am **Posts:** 68

Here is a shot of the Canada Aviation Museum R-4 taken two weeks ago.

MRP

Glyn · **Joined:** Mon Feb 14, 2005 12:23 am **Posts:** 321

Notice the different exhausts in the photographs.

Michel C-GNCJ · **Posted:** Tue May 05, 2009 7:07 am

Hey, where was this one hiding at NAM's storage building ???? Never saw it !

Here's a R4-B at Pima:

Lynn Allen · **Posted:** Tue May 05, 2009 8:34 am

Obergrafeter wrote:

CAF not going to do anything with it.........................SELL IT!!! I got $45.00 I could go on it.

I just don't like things where the wing goes faster than the fuselage??? :shock:

Lynn

airnutz · **Posted:** Tue May 05, 2009 1:44 pm

RyanShort1 wrote:

More on the way via email this evening.

An L-5 rescuing an R-4 that ran out of gas on one of the very first helicopter rescue missions.

Ryan

25/January/1945
"Rescue" is a bit of a stretch, Ryan. Two L-5's were accompanying YR-4B, 2-107237, on the 2nd MEDEVAC mission
ever. The R-4, due to altitude limitations had to skirt mountains in a less than direct track to the refuel stop at Sinkiling,
as well as, taking 3 tries to get over a 5000ft mountain. This left him a bit short of fuel and he and the L-5's put down on
a sandbank on the Chindwin River where he explained(no radio aboard) his plight. They were actually in sight of the
airfield when they set down. Better safe, than sorry. They completed the EVAC on the 26th when the R-4 brought the
injured soldier off the mountain where he was handed off to one of the L-5's of the Air Jungle Rescue Unit which rushed him
back to medical care.

I meant to post this link back in Jauary in Jack's Egg Beater thread, but wandered off doing something else. :oops:

Story here..
www.helis.com/stories/burma45.php

Jerry O'Neill · **Posted:** Tue May 05, 2009 1:53 pm

A good friend of mine, Stamford Robinson, was one of the L-5 pilots flying "top cover" for the mission.
Sikorsky even gave him a plaque commemorating his participation in the first combat use of the Helicopter. I'll try to post some of his writings and he also did a tape recording describing the event. unfortunately, he passed away 2 years ago.
Jerry

airnutz · **Posted:** Tue May 05, 2009 2:06 pm

Jerry O'Neill wrote:

A good friend of mine, Stamford Robinson, was one of the L-5 pilots flying "top cover" for the mission.
Sikorsky even gave him a plaque commemorating his participation in the first combat use of the Helicopter. I'll try to post some of his writings and he also did a tape recording describing the event. unfortunately, he passed away 2 years ago.
Jerry

Cool, you mentioned part of that in the aforementioned Egg Beater thread. We oughta resurrect the thread
and make the additions to accompany Ryan and Jack's photos.

RyanShort1 · **Posted:** Tue May 05, 2009 2:24 pm

airnutz wrote:

25/January/1945
"Rescue" is a bit of a stretch, Ryan. Two L-5's were accompanying YR-4B, 2-107237, on the 2nd MEDEVAC mission
ever. The R-4, due to altitude limitations had to skirt mountains in a less than direct track to the refuel stop at Sinkiling,
as well as, taking 3 tries to get over a 5000ft mountain. This left him a bit short of fuel and he and the L-5's put down on
a sandbank on the Chindwin River where he explained(no radio aboard) his plight. They were actually in sight of the
airfield when they set down. Better safe, than sorry. They completed the EVAC on the 26th when the R-4 brought the
injured soldier off the mountain where he was handed off to one of the L-5's of the Air Jungle Rescue Unit which rushed him
back to medical care.

I meant to post this link back in Jauary in Jack's Egg Beater thread, but wandered off doing something else. :oops:

Story here..
www.helis.com/stories/burma45.php

Here's the original caption... I didn't know just how close they were, but I'd still call it a rescue if I was about out of gas and no radio! :roll:

And another caption read: "Being Needed For Rescue Work In The Burma-India Theatre A Yr-4 Helpicopter Was Flown From Wright Field, Ohio In A Douglas C-54. After Leaving Myitkyina, Burma The Helicopter Is Shown On The First Leg Of Its First Rescue Mission."

Interesting to get more details filled in from that article. I should've specified that it was this helicopter's first rescue mission. The other (for those interested) was with the 1st AC Group.

Ryan

RyanShort1 · **Posted:** Tue May 05, 2009 2:29 pm

airnutz wrote:

Jerry O'Neill wrote:

A good friend of mine, Stamford Robinson, was one of the L-5 pilots flying "top cover" for the mission.
Sikorsky even gave him a plaque commemorating his participation in the first combat use of the Helicopter. I'll try to post some of his writings and he also did a tape recording describing the event. unfortunately, he passed away 2 years ago.
Jerry

Cool, you mentioned part of that in the aforementioned Egg Beater thread. We oughta resurrect the thread
and make the additions to accompany Ryan and Jack's photos.

It's funny, but some of my family were helping out a lady yesterday and I'm pretty sure they told me that she said a friend of her's husband was in charge of one of the first helicopter rescue missions in WWII... I guess I ought to try and track it down.

Ryan

RyanShort1 · **Posted:** Tue May 05, 2009 2:35 pm

Here's a link to the old thread.

http://warbirdinformationexchange.org/p ... hp?t=27316

Ryan

RyanShort1 · **Posted:** Tue May 05, 2009 2:47 pm

And for those interested, here's a crop from a picture of a 1st AC whirlybird.

Ryan

b17engineer · **Posted:** Tue May 05, 2009 2:59 pm

I looked pretty closely at the CAF bird a few years ago and it seemed to me that the engine would have been OK, but the engine mount was the bigger problem. It held the engine too high to line up. I'm probably wrong, but that's how I saw it. It would be SO COOL to see one flying again and I'm not even a rotor-head.

RICK

airnutz · **Posted:** Tue May 05, 2009 3:29 pm

RyanShort1 wrote:

Here's a link to the old thread.

http://warbirdinformationexchange.org/p ... hp?t=27316

Ryan

Yep, I didn't post it in trying not to hijack James' "R-4 head count" thread and creating a split thread from the
original?

mustangdriver · **Posted:** Tue May 05, 2009 4:39 pm

RyanShort1 wrote:

airnutz wrote:

25/January/1945
"Rescue" is a bit of a stretch, Ryan. Two L-5's were accompanying YR-4B, 2-107237, on the 2nd MEDEVAC mission
ever. The R-4, due to altitude limitations had to skirt mountains in a less than direct track to the refuel stop at Sinkiling,
as well as, taking 3 tries to get over a 5000ft mountain. This left him a bit short of fuel and he and the L-5's put down on
a sandbank on the Chindwin River where he explained(no radio aboard) his plight. They were actually in sight of the
airfield when they set down. Better safe, than sorry. They completed the EVAC on the 26th when the R-4 brought the
injured soldier off the mountain where he was handed off to one of the L-5's of the Air Jungle Rescue Unit which rushed him
back to medical care.

I meant to post this link back in Jauary in Jack's Egg Beater thread, but wandered off doing something else. :oops:

Story here..
www.helis.com/stories/burma45.php

Here's the original caption... I didn't know just how close they were, but I'd still call it a rescue if I was about out of gas and no radio! :roll:

And another caption read: "Being Needed For Rescue Work In The Burma-India Theatre A Yr-4 Helpicopter Was Flown From Wright Field, Ohio In A Douglas C-54. After Leaving Myitkyina, Burma The Helicopter Is Shown On The First Leg Of Its First Rescue Mission."

Interesting to get more details filled in from that article. I should've specified that it was this helicopter's first rescue mission. The other (for those interested) was with the 1st AC Group.

Ryan

I wouldn't say they recued him, as he may have had enough fuel to make it, but did not want to try and stretch it. If he crashed the helicopter he would be of no use and could not save anyone at all. This is a smart way to fly. This is the basis for what I do today. Really interesting stuff.

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