The Piasecki H-21 was an American tandem-rotor military transport and rescue helicopter. Known as the Workhorse or Shawnee in different services, its curved fuselage also earned the informal name “flying banana.” It first flew in April 1952.[1]
Tandem-rotor design
The H-21 developed the configuration of Piasecki’s earlier HRP-2 with larger rotors and a more powerful engine. Two main rotors supported a long cabin suitable for passengers, stretchers or cargo. The H-21A answered an Air Force requirement for an Arctic rescue helicopter, while subsequent versions increased troop-carrying capacity.[2]
Cabin and landing equipment
The aircraft carried a pilot and copilot. Depending on its configuration, it could accommodate twenty equipped troops or twelve stretcher patients with medical attendants. Fixed tricycle landing gear could be supplemented by flotation equipment around the wheels, supporting operations across different surfaces. These provisions reflected the requirement to work beyond conventional prepared airfields.[1][2]
Operational employment
H-21s served with American forces and overseas operators including Canada, France and West Germany. French Army use during the Algerian War helped develop helicopter assault and forward-supply practices. American units subsequently employed the type during the early stages of the Vietnam War. The aircraft’s principal contribution was moving people and supplies, with cabin capacity providing the basis for both rescue and transport work.[1][2]
Development and preservation
Experimental H-21D installations explored turbine power using paired engines, although the familiar production aircraft used a Wright radial piston engine. In 1956 an Army H-21 crossed the United States without landing by using in-flight refuelling. The National Museum of the United States Air Force acquired its CH-21B from Eglin Air Force Base in 1965, preserving an example of the earlier generation of large transport helicopters.[2][1]