what is it?
The Sikorsky S-20 (named after its designer) or RBVZ S-XX (named after its manufacturer) was a Russian single-bay unequal span two-seat biplane designed by Igor Sikorsky in 1916. Displaying some Nieuport influence, it saw very little service during World War I. Five S-XX aircraft were built in September 1916, with the first two powered by the 100 hp Gnome rotary engine which had powered its predecessor, the RBVZ S-XVI. However, the other three were powered with the 120 hp Le Rhone engine, with which they were allegedly faster than the French Nieuport 17.
How to recognise it: 1 piston engine with propeller · 8.6 m wingspan
base stats
Bars compare against all aircraft: 3,500 km/h, 20,000 km, 850 seats; size and number built on a log scale up to 640 t (An-225) and 45,000 built (Cessna 172).
fun facts
- First flew 110 years ago, in 1916.
piston: A car-like piston engine turning a propeller: simple and cheap, the classic small plane.
spec sheet
- first flight
- 1916
- introduced
- 1916
- retired
- 1920
- status
- retired
- number built
- 5
- role
- fighter
- makers
- Russo-Balt
- engines
- 1× Le Rhône Type 9Jb
- length
- 6.5 m
- wingspan
- 8.6 m
- height
- 2.6 m
- max take-off weight
- 570 kg
- top speed
- 180 km/h
- range
- 390 km
- ceiling
- 5,600 m
Specs are for the version in the Wikipedia article's specification section. Blank means the sources don't say.
Sources: Wikidata Q2087230, Wikipedia: Sikorsky S-20 (CC BY-SA 4.0).Updated 2026-10-24.