The sole Sikorsky S-60 ‘Flying Crane’ has entered a 12th year of restoration

The sole Sikorsky S-60 ‘Flying Crane’ has entered a 12th year of restoration at the Connecticut Air and Space Center (CASC) in Stratford Connecticut. After suffering an accident on April 3, 1961, the remains of this unusual prototype were donated to the New England Air Museum and in 2010, transferred to the skilled volunteers at CASC.

First flown in 1959, the S-60 was a conceptual helicopter that ultimately led to the CH-54/S-64 Skycrane. “The S-60 was important,” states project director Bill Fickes. “It was the last design that Igor Sikorsky was fully involved in, and it’s one of the most extensive and difficult restorations ever undertaken.”

The cockpit and tail boom are now close to completion, with the team now turning its attention to reconstructing the machine’s centre section, which was largely destroyed in the accident. A replacement CH-37/S-56 centre section has been sourced – the challenge is that each of the four main beam attachment fittings will need to be moved 16 inches inboard to accommodate the narrower, S-60 cockpit and tail boom. When the project is finished he S-60 will be an eye-catching centrepiece at CASC. WITH THANKS TO JERRY O’NEILL