This remarkable and eyecatching Sikorsky S39 represents one of the 21 aircraft of this type built by Igor Sikorsky in 19301931; however, this is the only airworthy example of the type and is the oldest flying Sikorsky in the world today. It was painstakingly restored by Dick Jackson of Rochester, NH. The project began in the 1960s, with the hull of NC50V, discovered in the Alaskan bush. After 40,000 hours and nearly four decades, the S39 took to the skies again.
The “Spirit of Igor” was named for the “Spirit of Africa,” an S39 owned by African naturalists Martin and Osa Johnson, and for Igor Sikorsky himself, a true visionary and pioneer in aviation. He built the first successful fourengine aircraft in 1914, later his series of flying boats, and finally, developed the helicopter. The giraffe spotting on the fuselage is authentic to a specific subspecies, of which there are 9 different types. It was projected onto the hull in order for the painting to be completed. Special Thanks to Kermit Weeks and Fantasy of Flight.