Piasecki H-16 Transporter

H-16 / PV-15 Transporter
The US Air Force prototype Piasecki YH-16A Transporter. The program was abandoned after the crash of the second prototype
Role Tandem-rotor transport helicopter
National origin United States
Manufacturer Piasecki Helicopter
First flight 23 October 1953
Number built 2


The Piasecki H-16 Transporter (company designation PV-15) was a tandem-rotor transport or rescue helicopter designed by Frank Piasecki and built by Piasecki Helicopter. The prototypes were evaluated by the US Air Force and US Army, but the crash of the second test aircraft led to cancelling the project.

Design and development

Given the company designation PV-15, the tandem-rotor helicopter was designed by company founder Frank Piasecki.[1]

Operational history

Crash

On 5 January 1956, the second YH-16 test aircraft crashed while returning to Philadelphia from a test flight over New Jersey.[2] The cause of the crash was later determined to be the aft slip ring, which carried flight data from the instrumented rotor blades to the data recorders in the cabin. The slip ring bearings seized, and the resultant torque load severed the instrumentation standpipe inside the aft rotor shaft. A segment of this steel standpipe tilted over and came into contact with the interior of the aluminum rotor shaft, scribing a deepening groove into it. The rotor shaft eventually failed in flight, which in turn led to the aft blades and forward blades desynchronizing and colliding.

The aircraft was a total loss; the two test pilots, Harold Peterson and George Callahan, were killed. This led to the cancellation not only of the YH-16, but also the planned 69-passenger YH-16B version.[3]

Variants

Another view of the first YH-16A prototype
XH-16A
Powered by two Pratt & Whitney R-2180-A Twin Hornet radial engines and room for 43 troops, one built later converted to a YH-16B.
YH-16A
Powered by two Allison T38-A-10 1,800 shp turboshaft engines; previously designated XH-27.
YH-16B
Prototype XH-16A re-engined with two Allison T56-A-5 2,100 shp turboshaft engines.

Specifications (YH-16B)

Data from U.S. Army Aircraft Since 1947[4]

General characteristics

Performance

See also

Related development
Aircraft of comparable role, configuration and era
Related lists

References

  1. Flying Magazine: 40. January 1954. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  2. Piasecki Helicopter Corporation newsletter, January 1956
  3. Harding, Stephen (1997). U.S. Army Aircraft Since 1947. Atglen, PA, USA: Schiffer Publishing Ltd. p. 202. ISBN 076430190X. LCCN 96-69996.
  4. Harding 1990, p. 264.
  5. Bridgman 1955, pp. 302–303.

External links

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