Sikorsky Aircraft Sikorsky Aircraft The Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation is an American aircraft manufacturer based in Stratford, Connecticut. It was established by Igor Sikorsky in 1923 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. On May 23, 1923, the "Sikorsky Aero Engineering Corporation" was founded near Roosevelt Field by Igor Sikorsky, an immigrant to the United States who was born in Kiev. In 1925 the company name was changed to "Sikorsky Manufacturing Company". In 1929 the company moved to [[Stratford, Connecticut]],
Igor Sikorsky several former Russian military officers. Among Sikorsky's chief supporters was composer Sergei Rachmaninoff, who introduced himself by writing a check for US$5,000 (approximately $61,000 in 2007). Although his prototype was damaged in its first test flight, Sikorsky persuaded his reluctant backers to invest another $2,500. With the additional funds, he produced the S-29, one of the first twin-engine aircraft in America, with a capacity for 14 passengers and a speed of 115 mph. The performance of the S-29, slow compared to military aircraft of 1918, proved to be a "make or break" moment for Sikorsky's funding. In 1928, Sikorsky became