Comments on: WORLD’S LARGEST WHIRLYBIRD

By: xoxoxoBruce

xoxoxoBruce — Sat, 02 May 2009 11:57:42 +0000

Piasecki didn’t get thrown out. He wanted to experiment with new ideas and wanted no part of the production end of helicopters, so he sold out and went off on his own to play.

By: MrG

MrG — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 18:28:13 +0000

The current Piasecki company (Frank Piasecki died just last year) was an offshoot of the original. Frank got bought / thrown out of the original company in the late 1950s, with the original company becoming “Vertol” and then (on being bought out by Boeing) “Boeing Vertol” and then just “Boeing”
in Philadelphia. The “new” Piasecki did subcontract work and experimentals — look up up the Speedhawk.

By: Tracy B.

Tracy B. — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 20:00:07 +0000

The H-16 was the grand-daddy of the CH-47 Chinook.

By: Don

Don — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 15:10:10 +0000

Steve – Oh, I don’t know. Maybe it’s because they don’t . . . uhhhh . . . FLY?

How ’bout a “whirlybat”? (Or to stretch a bit: “whirlysquirrel” ;^)

By: Steve

Steve — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 12:22:40 +0000

Why is it that you only ever hear about WhirlyBIRDS? Aren’t there any whirlycats, whirlydogs or other whirly animals out there?

By: Firebrand38

Firebrand38 — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 11:10:02 +0000

Now for the rest of the story http://www.aviastar.org/helico.....i_h-16.php

Piasecki is of course still in business http://www.piasecki.com/yh-16.htm

Turns out the original requirement was to pick up Strategic Air Command bomber crews on one and a half way missions. Amazing.