Piasecki Aircraft

Piasecki Aircraft Corporation (PiAC) was founded by the American vertical flight pioneer Frank Piasecki to continue pursuing the development of compound helicopters and other advanced rotorcraft.

History

The company's origins dated back to 1936 with the formation of the P-V Engineering Forum in 1940 and renamed the Piasecki Helicopter Corporation in 1946. After a falling out with other owners, Frank Piasecki and some of his design team left to form Piasecki Aircraft Corporation in 1955. Piasecki Helicopter Corporation eventual became Vertol Aircraft Corporation (merged with Boeing to form Boeing Vertol and now called Boeing IDS Rotorcraft Division).

In 2005, the company was selected as prime contractor for two United States Army FCS UAV systems. The FCS Class III UAV system was awarded to the company in late 2006 following a competetive downselect of four competing technologies. As part of that effort, the company flew the world's first autonomous autogyro. The company is currently developing and flight-testing the X-49 experimental compound helicopter.

Products

* Piasecki 16H-1 World's first shaft driven compound helicopter - 1962
* Piasecki 16H-1A Modified 16H-1 to attain speed over 200 mph - 1965
* Piasecki 16H-3 Study of next generation of compound helicopter
* PA-59K/VZ-8P First successful Flying Geep 1958
* PA-59N "Seageep" 1961
* PA-59H Airgeep II 1962
* PA-39 Multiple helicopter heavy lift system 1980s
* Piasecki PA-97 Helistat heavy vertical airlifter 1986
* Piasecki X-49

ee also

* UAV
* Future Combat Systems

References

External links

* [http://www.piasecki.com PiAC Web Site]
* [http://www.rotor.com/news/Autonomous.pdf World's First Autonomous Autogyro]
* [http://www.defenseindustrydaily.com/2005/10/four-fcs-uav-subcontracts-awarded-updated/index.php PiAC FCS Entries]