INFO WANTED ON WARTIME HELICOPTER

And there is one in the RAF museum

The R-4/Hoverfly was the allies only helicopter to see service in the war (one flew relief missions in Burma, another was used to fly parts from supply and maintenance ships moored off the B-29 base at Tinian).

Air-Britain has an excellent history focusing on RAF/RN use of the type.
“The Hoverfly File” by Eric Myall, 1997. Fifty-two were provided by the USA, along with 27 of the developed (and much better looking) H-6/Hoverfly II aircraft.

It was more than likely flown to Hooton Park on the Wirral and used in what I believe were the first trials ofthe type in the U.K. FlyPast circa October 1982 featured Hooton Park with some pictures of said type there.

Most likely one of these.

http://www.fleetairarmarchive.net/Aircraft/Hoverfly.htm

And probably wound up doing something like this (an unidentified Vought-Sikorsky Hoverfly aboard an equally unidentified carrier – deck trials in 1944. From ‘Pictorial History of the Fleet Air Arm’ Rawlings, J. D. R. 1973)

In one of the Wings of the Wierd and Wonderful books by Eric Brown, he recounts how during the war he and another test pilot were sent to Liverpool to collect two new American aircraft; only to be confronted with two Sikorsky Hoverflys, which they had to teach themselves to fly from the manual!

If you can find it this is probably one of the most entertaining and inspiring piece of aeronautical writting you’ll ever find.

Steve.

Most likely one of these.

http://www.fleetairarmarchive.net/Aircraft/Hoverfly.htm