Date:	Friday 23 January 1948
Time:	day
Type:	Sikorsky R-6A Hoverfly II
Owner/operator:	657 Sqn /1901 Flt RAF
Registration:	KN849
MSN:
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 2
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	RAF Andover, Weyhill, Hampshire, England -   United Kingdom
Phase:	Standing
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	RAF Andover, Hampshire
Destination airport:

Narrative:
Sikorsky Hoverfly KN849: 1901 Flight /657 Squadron RAF: Written off (damaged beyond repair) 23/01/1948 During servicing at RAF Andover, Weyhill, Hampshire, the aircraft fell off its maintenance trestle and sustained severe damage.

The damaged fuselage of Hoverfly KN849 was then transferred to RAF High Ercall, Shropshire (possibly to 29 MU?) for repairs. However, repairs were not proceeded with, and the aircraft was not restored to flying condition. It is presumed that KN849 was eventually scrapped at 29 MU RAF High Ercall.

Post-war, RAF Andover continued to be used for helicopter flying training and operational research, C Flight of 657 Squadron, Army Air Corps, being renamed 1901 (Air Observation Post) Flight in February 1947. The Flight used six Sikorsky R-6A Hoverfly 2 (an improved version of the Hoverfly I) helicopters, and Auster AOP.6 aircraft to train British Army and Royal Air Force pilots and carry out operational trials. The Hoverfly 2s had little effective operational capability, but gave the Army valuable experience in the helicopter's potential use. In addition to artillery direction, the Flight's experimental activities included photography, radar trials, air/ground communications, and fighter evasion. In January 1948, the Flight moved to Middle Wallop.

The first R-6s were delivered to the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) in late 1944 and some were transferred to the United States Navy (USN). It was initially intended to pass 150 R-6s to the Royal Air Force (RAF), but delays caused by the switch of production from Sikorsky's factory at Stratford, Connecticut, to Nash-Kelvinator at Detroit, Michigan, meant that only 27 R-6As were actually delivered to the RAF as the Hoverfly II. Fifteen of these were passed on to the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm (FAA).

Some of the RAF examples were allotted to 657 Squadron RAF for proving the use of helicopters in the Army Co-operation role, and two external stretchers could be fitted to the fuselage. 657 Squadron operated their Hoverfly IIs as Air Observation Posts, spotting for Army artillery units. The Hoverfly IIs remained in operation until April 1951

1. Halley, James (1999). Broken Wings – Post-War Royal Air Force Accidents. Tunbridge Wells: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd. ISBN 0-85130-290-4.
2. Final Landings: A Summary of RAF Aircraft and Combat Losses 1946 to 1949 by Colin Cummings p.367
3. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sikorsky_R-6#Operational_history
4. 657 Sqn RAF ORB for the period 1-5-1947 to 31-12-1950: National Archives (PRO Kew) File AIR27/2534: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C2505172
5. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._657_Squadron_RAF
6. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAF_Andover#1945_to_1977

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
01-May-2023 08:53	Nepa	Updated