Sikorsky Aircraft S-48 / S-51 (R-5, H-5, WS-51 & Dragonfly)

Light Utility Helicopter

Westland WS-51 Dragonfly HR Mk.5, Royal Navy, WG719, c/n WA/H/50 © Karsten Palt

Photo ©: Karsten Palt

The Sikorsky S-48 & S-51 is a light 4-seat single-engine utility helicopter built by the American manufacturer Sikorsky Aircraft. The S-48 military variants were YR-5, R-5A and R-5D. S-51 military versions were R-5F / H-5F, H-5G, H-5H (USAF) and HO3S-1/-1G operated by the US Navy and US Coast Guard.

The S-51 was basically a commercial variant of the S-48, later also used for military service. The total production of 444 S-48 & S-51 helicopters include 65 S-48, 220 S-51 built by Sikorsky and 159 WS-51 built in license in England by Westland (WS-51 and Dragonfly). A further development is the Westland WS-51A Widgeon, with enlarged cabin and the rotor system of the Westland Whirlwind.

Crew	1
Passengers	3

Propulsion	1 Radial Engine
Engine Model	Pratt & Whitney R-985-AN-5 Wasp Junior
Engine Power	336 kW	450 hp

max. Cruise Speed	167 km/h	90 kts 104 mph
Speed	198 km/h	107 kts 123 mph
Service Ceiling	4.511 m	14.800 ft
Rate of climb	610 m/min	2000 ft/min
Range	452 km	244 NM 281 mi.

Empty Weight	1.837 kg	4.050 lbs
max. Takeoff Weight	2.495 kg	5.500 lbs

Rotor Blades (main/tail)	3/3
Main Rotor Diameter	14,63 m	47 ft 12 in
Tail Rotor Diameter	2,44 m	8 ft 0 in
Rotor Disc Area	175,3 m²	1887 ft²
Length (Fuselage)	12,45 m	40 ft 10 in
Length	17,40 m	57 ft 1 in
Height	3,90 m	12 ft 10 in

First Flight	18.08.1943
Production Status	out of production
Total Production	444

ICAO Code	S51
FAA TCDS	H-2
Data for (Version)	Sikorsky S-51 (commercial)
Variants	S-48 (XR-5, YR-5A, R-5A, R-5D), S-51 (R-5F, H-5F, H-5G, H-5H, HO3S-1, HO3S-1G), WS-51, Dragonfly

[Photo-ID: 6686] © Karsten Palt 2013-05-17
	Westland Dragonfly HR.3 (WS-51) Royal Navy Reg.: WP495 c/n: WA/H/80 displayed in BEA c/s as G-AJOV
Royal Air Force Museum Cosford [Shifnal, Shropshire]

[Photo-ID: 7028] © Karsten Palt 2013-05-18
	Westland Dragonfly HR.5 (WS-51) Royal Navy Reg.: WH991 c/n: WA/H/67
Yorkshire Air Museum [Elvington]

[Photo-ID: 960] © Karsten Palt 2008-06-21
	Westland Dragonfly HR5 (WS-51) Royal Netherlands AF / Koninklijke Luchtmacht Reg.: 8-1 c/n: WA/H/62 ex WG752
Nationaal Luchtvaart-Themapark Aviodrome [Lelystad (EHLE / LEY)]

[Photo-ID: 7551] © Karsten Palt 2013-07-19
	Sikorsky H-5 Dragonfly Royal Canadian Air Force Reg.: 9601 c/n: 5118
Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum [Hamilton, Mount Hope]

[Photo-ID: 7552] © Karsten Palt 2013-07-19
	Sikorsky H-5 Dragonfly Royal Canadian Air Force Reg.: 9601 c/n: 5118
Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum [Hamilton, Mount Hope]

[Photo-ID: 11192] © Karsten Palt 2015-06-03
	Sikorsky H-5 Dragonfly United States Air Force (USAF) Reg.: 48-0548 ex N9845Z
Pima Air and Space Museum [Tucson, AZ]

[Photo-ID: 6441] © Karsten Palt 2013-02-09
	Sikorsky H-5A (S-51) Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF) Reg.: H1K-1/96
Royal Thai Air Force Museum [Bangkok]

[Photo-ID: 6442] © Karsten Palt 2013-02-09
	Sikorsky H-5A (S-51) Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF) Reg.: H1K-1/96
Royal Thai Air Force Museum [Bangkok]

[Photo-ID: 5580] © Karsten Palt 2012-04-29
	Sikorsky H-5H (S-51) United States Air Force (USAF) Reg.: 49-2007 c/n: 51-197
The War Memorial of Korea [Seoul]

[Photo-ID: 11196] © Karsten Palt 2015-06-03
	Sikorsky HO3S-1 Dragonfly United States Coast Guard Reg.: 232 c/n: 51-232 ex N4925E
Pima Air and Space Museum [Tucson, AZ]

[Photo-ID: 1090] © Karsten Palt 2008-07-11
	Westland WS-51 Dragonfly HR Mk.5 Royal Navy Reg.: WG719 c/n: WA/H/50
The Helicopter Museum [Weston-super-Mare]

[Photo-ID: 6492] © Karsten Palt 2013-02-09
	Westland WS-51 Dragonfly Mk.1A Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF) Reg.: H1-4/96 c/n: WA/H/120
Royal Thai Air Force Museum [Bangkok]

[Photo-ID: 5524] © Karsten Palt 2012-01-11
	Sikorsky YH-5A Dragonfly United States Air Force (USAF) Reg.: 43-46620 c/n: 164
National Museum of the United States Air Force [Dayton, Ohio / USA (Wright-Patterson AFB)]

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