Sikorsky Manufacturing Corporation

Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation

Type	Manufacturer
Industry	Aviation
Founded	1925
Founder	Igor Sikorsky
Headquarters	Stratford, Connecticut, United States
Key people	Dan Schultz (President)
Number of employees	15,975 (2014)
Parent	Lockheed Martin
Subsidiaries	Schweizer Aircraft (closed 2012) PZL Mielec
Website	Sikorsky.com

The Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation is an American aircraft manufacturer based in Stratford, Connecticut. It was established by Igor Sikorsky in 1925 and was among the first companies to manufacture helicopters for civilian and military use.

Previously owned by United Technologies Corporation (UTC), in November 2015 Sikorsky was sold to Lockheed Martin.

Sikorsky was founded in 1925 by aircraft engineer Igor Sikorsky, an immigrant to the United States who was born in Kiev. The company, named "Sikorsky Manufacturing Company", began aircraft production in Roosevelt, New York, that year. In 1929 the company moved to Stratford, Connecticut. It became a part of United Aircraft and Transport Corporation (now United Technologies Corporation) in July of that year.

In the United States, Igor Sikorsky originally concentrated on the development of multi-engined landplanes and then amphibious aircraft. In the late 1930s, sales declined and United Aircraft merged his division with Vought Aircraft. He took this opportunity to begin work on developing a practical helicopter. After first flying the VS-300 he developed the Sikorsky R-4, the first stable, single-rotor, fully controllable helicopter to enter large full-scale production in 1942, upon which the majority of subsequent helicopters were based (though Sikorsky did not invent the helicopter itself).

Sikorsky Aircraft remains one of the leading helicopter manufacturers, producing such well-known models as the UH-60 Black Hawk and SH-60 Seahawk, as well as experimental types like the Sikorsky S-72 X-Wing. It is a leading defense contractor. Sikorsky has supplied the Presidential helicopter since 1957. Sikorsky's VH-3 and VH-60 currently perform this role.