Piasecki HUP Retriever – Foto e Video

Le Piasecki H-25 Army Mule / HUP Retriever era un elicottero compatto a singolo motore radiale, doppio rotore tandem sovrapposto sviluppato dalla Piasecki Helicopter Corporation di Morton, Pennsylvania durante la fine degli anni 1940 e prodotto durante i primi anni 1950. La società cambiò il suo nome nel 1956 in Vertol Aircraft Corporation e successivamente fu acquistata dalla Boeing Aircraft Company nel 1960, e divenne Boeing-Vertol.

fonte: Piasecki HUP Retriever su Wikipedia

The Piasecki HUP Retriever was a twin-rotor utility helicopter developed by Piasecki Helicopter in the late 1940s for the United States Navy, Army and Coast Guard. It was designed to meet a Navy requirement for an all-purpose helicopter capable of shipboard operations, cargo transport, air-sea rescue, and reconnaissance. The HUP Retriever had a distinctive tandem-rotor configuration with a front rotor that tilted up for increased lift and a rear rotor that tilted down for anti-torque. The helicopter had a crew of two and could carry up to four passengers or 1,000 lb (450 kg) of cargo in a spacious cabin. The HUP Retriever was powered by a single Continental R-975 radial engine mounted in the rear fuselage and driving both rotors through a complex transmission system. The helicopter had a fixed tricycle landing gear and a tailwheel that could be retracted for shipboard operations.
The HUP Retriever first flew in March 1948 and entered service with the Navy in 1949. It was also adopted by the Army as the H-25 Army Mule and by the Coast Guard as the HUP-1. The helicopter proved to be versatile and reliable, serving in various roles such as anti-submarine warfare, search and rescue, liaison, and training. The HUP Retriever was also deployed to Korea and Vietnam, where it performed admirably in harsh conditions. The helicopter was gradually replaced by more advanced models such as the H-34 Choctaw and the UH-1 Iroquois in the 1960s. A total of 339 HUP Retrievers were built, of which some are preserved in museums today.