Saturday, November 7, 2009

H-21 Shawnee Piasecki

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CH-21C Shawnee transporting M101 105mm howitzer.
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The Piasecki H-21 Workhorse/Shawnee is an American helicopter, the fourth of a line of tandem rotor helicopters designed and built by Piasecki Helicopter (later Boeing Vertol). Commonly called the "flying banana", it was a multi-mission helicopter, utilizing wheels, skis, or floats. It was used for Arctic rescue because it performed so well at low temperatures.
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Type: Cargo helicopter
Crew: 2
Capacity: 22 troops or 12 stretchers
Manufacturer: Piasecki Helicopter

Models: See variants
Maiden flight: 1949
Service Retirement: 1967
Number built: N/A
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Specifications: CH-21C Shawnee
Powerplant:
Model: Wright R-1820-103
Type: Radial Engine
Number: One
Horsepower: 1,425 hp
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Dimensions:
Length: 52 ft 6 in (16.0 m)
Rotor Diameter: 44 ft 0 in (13.4 m)
Disc Area: 3,041 ft² (282.7 m²)
Height: 15 ft 9 in (4.80 m)
Weights:
Empty: 8,950 lb (4,058 kg)
Max takeoff: 15,200 lb (6,893 kg)

Performance:
Maximum speed: 127 mph (204 kph)
Range: 265 mi (426 km)
Service ceiling: 9,450 ft (2,880 m)
Rate of climb: N/A
Disc loading: 5 lb/ft² (24 kg/m²)
Power/mass: 0.09 hp/lb (150 W/kg)
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Armament:
Usually twin or quad .50 machine guns
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Design and Development:
Piasecki Helicopter designed and successfully sold to the US Navy a series of tandem rotor helicopters, starting with the HRP-1 of 1944. The HRP-1 was nicknamed the "flying banana" because of the upward angle of the aft fuselage that ensured the large rotors did not hit each other in flight. The name would later be applied to other Piasecki helicopters of similar design, including the H-21. In 1949, Piasecki provided the H-21 Workhorse to the USAF, which was an improved, all-metal derivative of the HRP-1.
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Sources:
Wikipedia: H-21 Shawnee

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