Frank Piasecki, the Creator of the "Flying Banana"

The world-renowned aircraft designer Frank Piasecki was born on October 24, 1919, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. He came from a family of Polish immigrants, with his father, Nicodem, working as a tailor.

While in school, Frank started earning money as a photographer at Harold Pitcairn's company, which produced autogyros. On one of these aircraft, Piasecki took his first flight as a passenger, and he was captivated by the experience. This led to a lifelong passion for rotorcraft. After completing his secondary education, Piasecki enrolled at the local University of Pennsylvania and later transferred to the prestigious New York University. He graduated in 1940 as a certified aeronautical engineer.

Piasecki's first job was at Platt-LePage Aircraft, where he worked on the development of the twin-rotor helicopter XR-1. However, his time there was short. By the end of 1940, he co-founded PV Engineering Forum with his school friend Harold Venzie. Their joint effort resulted in the PV-1 helicopter, which took its maiden flight on April 11, 1943. Piasecki himself piloted the craft, despite not having a flight license. Although this light, conventionally designed helicopter initially attracted the attention of the U.S. military, it ultimately could not compete with Igor Sikorsky's R-4, which was already in mass production at the time.

Piasecki then focused on developing much larger helicopters, opting for a tandem rotor configuration. At the request of the U.S. Navy, he developed the experimental XHRP-1 helicopter, which made its first flight on March 7, 1945. Tests confirmed the viability of this design, and two years later, production began on the significantly refined HRP-1 Dogship, intended for the U.S. Coast Guard. Due to its distinctive fuselage shape, it earned the nickname "Flying Banana," a moniker later inherited by several of Piasecki's subsequent helicopters.

Despite initial business success, the company urgently needed investments. In 1946, it was reorganized into Piasecki Helicopter Corporation, with a controlling stake acquired by major American businessmen, including Laurance Rockefeller and Felix du Pont Jr. Business prospects improved significantly. While only two dozen Dogships were built, the newer H-21 Workhorse and HUP-1 Retriever helicopters were produced by the hundreds, purchased by the U.S. Army, Air Force, Navy, and foreign military forces.

Brimming with creative ideas, Piasecki aimed for new heights. His ambitious project, the PV-15 or YH-16 Transporter, which began flying in 1953, became the largest helicopter in the world at the time. However, potential buyers were unenthusiastic about the machine. Piasecki's disputes with his business partners escalated, and in 1955, he left the company. Nevertheless, the design principles he had laid down enabled the later creation of highly successful helicopters, including the CH-47 Chinook, which remains in production more than half a century later.

In 1955, Piasecki started anew by founding Piasecki Aircraft Corporation. He was full of innovative ideas. For instance, in 1962, the company developed the PA-59 "Flying Jeep" for the U.S. Army, a versatile platform with two ducted rotors. The Army funded several experimental prototypes, and their tests were successful, but in the end, the military opted for traditional light helicopters over the exotic aircraft.

Other projects, like the compound helicopter 16H-1 Pathfinder and Piasecki’s later developments, met with similar fates. Although these avant-garde designs generated considerable interest within the aviation community, none entered mass production. Nonetheless, Piasecki’s small company continued to secure contracts for promising projects and remains operational today.

Frank Piasecki's personal life took longer to settle. It wasn't until nearly 40 years of age that he married the much younger Vivian Weyerhaeuser. The marriage was a happy one, resulting in seven children.

Instilled with a deep love for his ancestral homeland from a young age, Piasecki actively participated in the Polish-American community in the U.S. In the 1970s, he attempted to establish cooperation with the aviation industry of the Polish People's Republic, but his efforts were hindered by the communist regime. However, this changed after the regime's fall. Thanks to Piasecki's efforts, the Polish W-3 Sokół helicopter received type certification in the U.S. in accordance with FAR-29 standards.

In his later years, Frank Piasecki suffered from health issues, and after several strokes, he passed away on February 11, 2008.

Photos: 

1 - Frank Piasecki, late 1950s.

2 - The experimental PV-1 helicopter, 1943.

3 - The experimental XHRP-1 helicopter, 1945.

4 - The first production Piasecki HRP-1 Dogship helicopter, 1947.

5 - In 1953, the YH-16 Transporter became the largest helicopter in the world.

6 - The experimental PA-59 "Flying Jeep," 1962.

7 - The experimental 16H-1 Pathfinder helicopter, 1962.

8 – President Ronald Reagan (right) presenting Frank Piasecki with the National Medal of Technology and Innovation, 1986.