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Military Helicopter Operations
The Helicopter Goes to War
In 1940 the US Army Air Corps contracted for the Sikorsky XR-4. Although underpowered, it showed that the helicopter could perform such missions as medical evacuation and antisubmarine warfare. By 1944 the United States surpassed Germany in helicopter development and use, with more 1,000 helicopters on order. About a third (nearly all Sikorsky models) were delivered by war's end. The helicopter's most significant use during World War II was the ferrying of aircraft parts from repair depot ships to airfields in the Pacific. Army Air Forces helicopters, known as "Eggbeaters" or "Windmills," also evacuated about 125 commonly injured personnel. These accomplishments proved essential to encouraging further helicopter development. |