Sikorsky S-52

Single Rotorcraft

The Sikorsky S-52 holds a special place in rotorcraft history as one of the first truly practical light helicopters designed for civilian use. First flown in 1947, it was Sikorsky's answer to the post-war demand for smaller, more affordable helicopters that could serve utility roles beyond military transport. Powered by a single Franklin piston engine producing just 178 horsepower, the S-52 featured a distinctive two-blade main rotor and an all-metal fuselage that seated three occupants side-by-side. Its maximum gross weight of 1,750 pounds made it genuinely light by the standards of the era, and its 87-knot never-exceed speed reflected the conservative engineering of early helicopter design. The type earned FAA certification in 1948 and saw limited production through the early 1950s, with fewer than 100 examples built. While it never achieved the commercial success of later Sikorsky designs, the S-52 proved the viability of the light helicopter market and influenced the development of subsequent civilian rotorcraft. Today, the handful of airworthy examples are prized by warbird collectors and aviation museums as flying artifacts of the pioneering days of vertical flight. SkyMeter has tracked flights across airframes and operators, with the largest observed operator.