Igor Sikorsky

Major Biographies

The Story of the Winged S by Igor I. Sikorsky - 1938, revised in 1967

First published in 1938, The Story of the Winged S is the fascinating autobiography of Igor Sikorsky, in which he provides a first-hand account of the long days and nights, successes and failures, and iterative trial and error experiments to develop the flying machines of his imagination.  The first edition of the Story of the Winged S includes Igor Sikorsky’s history from his early life and aircraft development in Imperial Russia through his success with flying boats in the United States. He revised it in 1967 with stories and photographs from his history of developing helicopters. The Story of the Winged S is a must-read for inventors and engineers who are interested in aviation.  It is out of print, however, the first, non-revised edition is available for Amazon Kindle.

The Sikorsky Legacy by Sergei I. Sikorsky and the Igor I. Sikorsky Historical Archives - 2007

This illustrated biography traces the history and achievements of Igor I. Sikorsky and the companies he founded. It is written by Igor Sikorsky’s eldest son Sergei Sikorsky, who started his aviation career as an apprentice in the Sikorsky factory at age 16, served as a helicopter mechanic in the U.S. Coast Guard and then spent the next 50 years at Sikorsky Aircraft.

Igor Sikorsky, The Russian Years by K.N. Finne - 1930, translated and republished 1987

The most comprehensive account of Igor Sikorsky’s early years developing aircraft in the Russian Empire, starting in Kiev in 1910.  Finne was a friend and admirer of Igor Sikorsky in Russia while he was a flight surgeon on Igor Sikorsky-designed aircraft prior to the Russian Revolution.  He wrote The Russian Years in 1930 while in exile in Yugoslavia. The Russian Years includes original photographs, maps, aircraft drawings, and technical characteristics of Igor Sikorsky’s Russian aircraft. The book’s epilogue was written by Igor Sikorsky’s son, Sergei Sikorsky.

Igor Sikorsky, His Three Careers in Aviation by Frank J. Delear - 1969, revised 1976

A biography of Igor Sikorsky covering Igor Sikorsky’s long career in aircraft development, divided into three parts: his early career in Imperial Russia pioneering flight and multi-engine flying ships; his career developing aircraft and flying boats during the golden age of aviation in the United States; and finally his achievements developing the world’s first production helicopter. The author Frank Delear was the Public Relations Manager at Sikorsky Aircraft and worked closely with Igor Sikorsky to document is career and accomplishments from his first interview in 1940 until Igor Sikorsky’s passing in 1972.

The Aviation Careers of Igor Sikorsky by Dorothy Cochrane, Von Hardesty and Russell Lee - 1989

Beautifully illustrated with large photographs and aircraft drawings, this biography was published by the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum in 1989 for the 100th anniversary celebration of Igor Sikorsky’s birth and 50th anniversary of the VS-300 helicopter’s first flight.