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 in the city's historical center is preserved to this day but is in a neglected condition pending restoration. In November 2012, one of the Russian supersonic heavy strategic bomber Tu-160, based at the Engels-2 Air Force Base, was named for Igor Sikorsky, which caused controversy among air base crew members. One of the officers said that Igor Sikorsky does not deserve it because he laid the foundations of the U.S., rather than Russian aviation. However, the Long Range Aviation command officer said that Igor Sikorsky is not responsible for the activities of his military aircraft, noted that Sikorsky had also