Sikorsky S-52 First Helicopter Loop - 1949

H E "Tommy" Thompson loops the Sikorsky S-52 helicopter in 1949. First recorded helicopter loop from 8mm movie and stills. Thompson also set an international speed record of 129.616 mph in this craft.

Describing looping the S-52 from my Dad's memoir - "At about two hundred feet I put the helicopter in a dive and picked up airspeed to approximately 120 miles per hour; by this time at the bottom of the loop we were only twenty or thirty feet above the ground. Then the ordeal of raising the pitch stick, applying more power, gradually easing back on the azimuth stick more and more until as you look over backward and see the horizon and ground as the helicopter is now upside down in reference to the ground. Just before going over I backed off on power and pitch and by all means didn't allow the rotor RPM to exceed it's red line. Gingerly continuing to hold back on the azimuth stick allowed us to begin our descent down to the landmark from which we started. As we were coming down, we felt a thump or thud which shook the helicopter. This thump or thud was rewarding in that it signified our loop was next to perfect in that we reentered our prop or blade wash."

Tommy was flying that day with Adolph Plenefisch, the S-52 crew chief. Prior to the flight. he had asked Adolph to adjust the aircraft for maximum fore and aft control that was allowable without mast bumping. Adolph was a little suspicious and wanted to accompany him if he was going to try anything aggressive. Thompson acutally lost his FAA license for these loops as he violated flying regulations in regard to aerobatics under specified heights over land and in a congested area. Sikorsky got his license back the next day. Subsequently, Sikorsky had Thompson make other demo flights which were also filmed and photographed from the air and ground.

BT - I have reviewed some of the materials from my Dad's collection and confirmed that the loop occurred in May 1949. Correction posted 7/9/09

Category:

Autos & Vehicles

Tags:

• Sikorsky
• S-52
• Helicopter
• Loop
• Thompson
• Looping
• First
• Worlds
• Record
• Acrobatic
• Extreme
• Historic

[btbisbee]

Thanks for watching and reminding me - I found another loop viideo in my mother's stuff that was taken from a different perspective. Great timing - I was reviewing it when your comment was posted. I'll post it soon.

PS. I'll be 61 this year. He gave up his great passion for flying that year. He knew if he didn't he would leave his wife a widow and his two sons orphans.

[LarryCanFly]

Thanks for posting that! You've helped him to live on forever in cyberspace memory, and we are all better for it - way to go, son!

[fernfeyes]

That's nuts!..so close to the ground.

[harrier1154]

@btbisbee Great footage of a stupendous achievement. Tommy was Sikorsky's youngest test pilot, so probably the most fearless too, judging by this loop. Did he urge his employers to let him try the loop, or did they urge him, I wonder?

[kriss1121]

polska Poland :)

[Frosttty]

It must be tough to walk with balls that huge!

[Blowfeld20k]

Dunno whether to be impressed at the pilots balls or appalled at how lightly he took his own life. WTF?!?!?! An early heli back then that thing must have been bucking a yawing like a fuckin' championship bull, lucky the damned rotors stayed attached.I reckon 3-4 less horse power would have defo equalled 1 dead pilot and big hole in the ground full of broken components.

[JADE0531]

cool



[khxml]

Gonna go do some loops on my rc heli in honor of this guy.

[hillberg100]

A lot of helicopters were looped,Kaman 225 was looped,and S-58s,CH-53s,Hughes 300 & 500, MBB 105. most modern combat helicopters will loop. The early days had iron pilots. Now days what type of pilot do we have? A bowl of pudding.

[sabbathian]

1949... never thought they did such stuff back then! R.I.P. Mr.Loop

[hoshaseldorf]

@btbisbee Of course it was a German Heli!!!

[hoshaseldorf]

@btbisbee Its not possible to flight a real loop with that Rotorsystem.

The first heli that could do that was the BO 105 !!!

Best regards!!!