BoeingFan7879
U.S. Navy Piasecki HUP-2 Retriever 128519
Talented aeronautical engineer Frank Piasecki, one of America's earliest known helicopter pioneers, perfected tandem, or twin main rotors, for helicopters in 1945. His earliest model, the HRP Rescuer, could carry up to ten passengers and was nicknamed the "Flying Banana" due to its elongated and curved shape and the fact that the standard U.S. Navy helicopter paint scheme used at the time was overall yellow.
The design was the product of a competition by the U.S. Navy in 1945 for a compact utility/rescue helicopter to operate from ships, including aircraft carriers, battleships, and cruisers. Either two or three prototypes designated as PV-14s by the factory and XHJP-1s by the Navy—were built and subjected to a side-by-side flight evaluation against the three prototypes of the Sikorsky XHJS-1; however, the XHJS-1 was fundamentally a scaled-up version of the Sikorsky H-5, and the increased weight and size magnified the design's problems with maintaining proper weight and balance under varying loading conditions. The Piasecki won the competition, and with the introduction of the aircraft configuration letter "U" for Utility in the 1950s, the aircraft was ordered for production as the HUP-1.
The HUP-1's design was a testament to Piasecki's ingenuity. It featured two three-bladed, 35-foot-diameter (11m) rotors in tandem, the blades of which could be folded for storage. The relatively small rotor diameter allowed the aircraft to use aircraft carrier elevators with its blades fully extended, a unique feature that set it apart from other helicopters of its time. Piasecki's development of the tandem overlapping rotor configuration was a milestone in helicopter design, influencing future designs by the company and its successors, including the H-21, HRB-1/CH-46, and CH-47.
The original HUP-1 was powered by a single Continental R-975-34 radial engine, with a take-off rating of 525 hp (391 kW), while later versions used the uprated R-975-42 or R-975-46A with 550 hp (410 kW). To aid in search and rescue (SAR) operations, the aircraft was equipped with an overhead winch capable of lifting 400 lbs (181 kg), which could lower a rescue sling through an electrically operated door available after the copilot's seat was folded forward. During a flight demonstration of its capability to withstand high G-forces, the type became the first helicopter in history to perform a complete 360° loop, albeit unintentionally.
Designed specifically for the U.S. Navy in 1948, the HUP Retriever was a marvel of engineering. Smaller than its predecessor, the HRP, it could carry a crew of two pilots and four passengers. Its unique feature was the overlapping rotors, making it compact enough to fit on aircraft carrier flight deck elevators without the need to fold the rotor blades. However, the blades could be easily folded for extended storage in carrier hangar decks in just a few minutes.
The Retrievers were used for various utilitarian duties such as liaison, search and rescue, supply replenishment, and plane guard duty when aircraft carriers were either launching or landing aircraft. At the heart of the Retriever was an electric hoist mounted internally above the pilots. A large floor hatch opened below the right side pilot's seat, which needed to be folded up to lower the cable from the hoist. This system enabled the pilots to lift downed aviators easily but compromised safety when the right-side pilot had to fold up his seat to operate both the hatch and hoist.
The HUP Retriever, with its innovative autopilot system, overcame many challenges and became a significant part of aviation history. The first helicopter to use an autopilot system, it aided the lone pilot in hovering during rescue operations. The Retriever's production for the U.S. Navy and Army and the Royal Canadian and French navies totaled 339 helicopters built over a six-year production run. The Retrievers served with the U.S. Navy until they were retired in 1964.
This HUP-2, BuNo 128519, was originally built as a UH-25B in 1955 and delivered to the U.S. Navy in September of the following year. By 1983, it was relocated to Mesa, Arkansas, with the new civilian registration of N8SA. In January 1998, it was stored at the Pima Air and Space Museum's restoration area. It would remain there for nearly a decade until January 2007, when it was moved to the USS Intrepid, where it remains today. It was repainted to resemble one that flew from Intrepid between 1954 and 1961. It was painted with the support of the USS Intrepid Former Crew Members Association.
U.S. Navy Piasecki HUP-2 Retriever 128519
Talented aeronautical engineer Frank Piasecki, one of America's earliest known helicopter pioneers, perfected tandem, or twin main rotors, for helicopters in 1945. His earliest model, the HRP Rescuer, could carry up to ten passengers and was nicknamed the "Flying Banana" due to its elongated and curved shape and the fact that the standard U.S. Navy helicopter paint scheme used at the time was overall yellow.
The design was the product of a competition by the U.S. Navy in 1945 for a compact utility/rescue helicopter to operate from ships, including aircraft carriers, battleships, and cruisers. Either two or three prototypes designated as PV-14s by the factory and XHJP-1s by the Navy—were built and subjected to a side-by-side flight evaluation against the three prototypes of the Sikorsky XHJS-1; however, the XHJS-1 was fundamentally a scaled-up version of the Sikorsky H-5, and the increased weight and size magnified the design's problems with maintaining proper weight and balance under varying loading conditions. The Piasecki won the competition, and with the introduction of the aircraft configuration letter "U" for Utility in the 1950s, the aircraft was ordered for production as the HUP-1.
The HUP-1's design was a testament to Piasecki's ingenuity. It featured two three-bladed, 35-foot-diameter (11m) rotors in tandem, the blades of which could be folded for storage. The relatively small rotor diameter allowed the aircraft to use aircraft carrier elevators with its blades fully extended, a unique feature that set it apart from other helicopters of its time. Piasecki's development of the tandem overlapping rotor configuration was a milestone in helicopter design, influencing future designs by the company and its successors, including the H-21, HRB-1/CH-46, and CH-47.
The original HUP-1 was powered by a single Continental R-975-34 radial engine, with a take-off rating of 525 hp (391 kW), while later versions used the uprated R-975-42 or R-975-46A with 550 hp (410 kW). To aid in search and rescue (SAR) operations, the aircraft was equipped with an overhead winch capable of lifting 400 lbs (181 kg), which could lower a rescue sling through an electrically operated door available after the copilot's seat was folded forward. During a flight demonstration of its capability to withstand high G-forces, the type became the first helicopter in history to perform a complete 360° loop, albeit unintentionally.
Designed specifically for the U.S. Navy in 1948, the HUP Retriever was a marvel of engineering. Smaller than its predecessor, the HRP, it could carry a crew of two pilots and four passengers. Its unique feature was the overlapping rotors, making it compact enough to fit on aircraft carrier flight deck elevators without the need to fold the rotor blades. However, the blades could be easily folded for extended storage in carrier hangar decks in just a few minutes.
The Retrievers were used for various utilitarian duties such as liaison, search and rescue, supply replenishment, and plane guard duty when aircraft carriers were either launching or landing aircraft. At the heart of the Retriever was an electric hoist mounted internally above the pilots. A large floor hatch opened below the right side pilot's seat, which needed to be folded up to lower the cable from the hoist. This system enabled the pilots to lift downed aviators easily but compromised safety when the right-side pilot had to fold up his seat to operate both the hatch and hoist.
The HUP Retriever, with its innovative autopilot system, overcame many challenges and became a significant part of aviation history. The first helicopter to use an autopilot system, it aided the lone pilot in hovering during rescue operations. The Retriever's production for the U.S. Navy and Army and the Royal Canadian and French navies totaled 339 helicopters built over a six-year production run. The Retrievers served with the U.S. Navy until they were retired in 1964.
This HUP-2, BuNo 128519, was originally built as a UH-25B in 1955 and delivered to the U.S. Navy in September of the following year. By 1983, it was relocated to Mesa, Arkansas, with the new civilian registration of N8SA. In January 1998, it was stored at the Pima Air and Space Museum's restoration area. It would remain there for nearly a decade until January 2007, when it was moved to the USS Intrepid, where it remains today. It was repainted to resemble one that flew from Intrepid between 1954 and 1961. It was painted with the support of the USS Intrepid Former Crew Members Association.