Summary
Frank Nicolas Piasecki (/piːəˈsɛki/ pee-ə-SEK-ee; Polish: [pjaˈsɛtski]; October 24, 1919 – February 11, 2008) was an American engineer and helicopter aviation pioneer. Piasecki pioneered tandem rotor helicopter designs and created the compound helicopter concept of vectored thrust using a ducted propeller.[2]
Frank Nicolas Piasecki | |
|---|---|
 Piasecki in the early 1950s | |
| Born | October 24, 1919 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Died | February 11, 2008 (aged 88) |
| Alma mater | New York University |
| Occupation | Helicopter designer |
| Known for | Designing tandem rotor helicopters |
| Spouse | Vivian Weyerhaeuser Piasecki |
| Children | Nicole, Frederick, John, Lynn, Frank, Michael, and Gregory |
Early life and education
editBorn in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to an immigrant Polish tailor, Piasecki worked for autogyro manufacturers while still attending Overbrook High School,[3] then studied mechanical engineering at the University of Pennsylvania before graduating with a bachelor's degree from New York University. He was employed by the Platt-LePage Aircraft Company as a control engineer on their XR-1 twin-rotor project.[4] In 1940, he formed PV Engineering Forum with former Pennsylvania classmate Harold Venzie.[5] He built a single-person, single-rotor helicopter designated the PV-2 and flew it on April 11, 1943. This helicopter impressed the United States Navy sufficiently to win Piasecki a development contract.[6]
Career
edit
The name PV Engineering was changed to Piasecki Helicopter Corporation in 1946. After a boardroom dispute, Piasecki was forced out of Piasecki Helicopter in 1955, and formed the Piasecki Aircraft Company.[7]
At Piasecki Aircraft, he participated in the development of the Piasecki 16H-1 the world's first shaft driven compound helicopter, the PA-59K/VZ-8P Flying Geep (also known as the AirGeep) the Piasecki PA-97 Helistat heavy vertical airlifter and the Piasecki X-49 experimental compound helicopter.
Personal life
editPiasecki married Vivian Weyerhaeuser on December 20, 1958.[8] They had seven children: Nicole, Frederick, John, Lynn, Frank, Michael, and Gregory.[7]
His son John W. Piasecki is now President and CEO of Piasecki Aircraft. His son Fred W. Piasecki is Chairman of the Board and Chief Technology Officer of Piasecki Aircraft.[9] His daughter Nicole Piasecki was the vice president and general manager of Propulsion Systems for Boeing Commercial Airplanes.[10][11]
Later life and death
editPiasecki died at his home on February 11, 2008, of a heart attack after a series of strokes. He was 88.
Awards
edit- Philip H. Ward, Jr. Medal from The Franklin Institute in 1979.
- National Medal of Technology - President Ronald Reagan presented Piasecki with the country's highest technical honor in 1986.
- Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum Lifetime Achievement award - awarded in 2005
- National Aviation Hall of Fame Inducted 2002.[12]
See also
edit
References
edit- ^ Helicopter pioneer Piasecki dies
- ^ Spenser, Jay P. Whirlybirds, A History of the U.S. Helicopter Pioneers. University of Washington Press, 1998. ISBN 0-295-97699-3.
- ^ "Piasecki Aircraft Corporation >> About >> PiAC". Piasecki Aircraft Corporation. Archived from the original on 28 November 2011. Retrieved 2 October 2011.
- ^ "Platt-LePage XR-1". Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum. Retrieved 28 March 2020.
- ^ P-V Engineering Forum PV-2 Archived 2012-01-03 at the Wayback Machine - Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum
- ^ Wall Street Journal, February 16–17, 2008, p. A6
- ^ a b HEVESI, Dennis (15 February 2008). "Frank Piasecki, a Pioneer in Helicopters, Is Dead at 88". New York Times. Retrieved 24 January 2016.
- ^ Twining, Charles E. F.K. Weyerhaeuser: A Biography. St. Paul, Minn: Minnesota Historical Society Press, 1997. p. 289. ISBN 0-87351-356-8
- ^ "Company Overview of Piasecki Aircraft Corporation". Bloomberg. Retrieved 24 January 2016.
- ^ "Nicole Piasecki retires from Boeing after 25 years". The Seattle Times. 2017-10-11. Retrieved 2023-01-20.
- ^ "All Female Flight"
- ^ "Enshrinee Frank Piasecki". nationalaviation.org. National Aviation Hall of Fame. Retrieved 27 February 2023.
External links
edit- Founder Origins: Frank Nicholas Piasecki
- Exclutive Biography of Frank N. Piasecki
- The Boy Who Grew Flying Bananas by L.B. White 1951 article on Piasecki at age 31 and his early helicopters. Rare photos.
- Frank Piasecki biography on National Aviation Hall of Fame site
- Summary of Frank's aviation legacy from AIN online
- Frank Piasecki at Find a Grave