Piasecki 16H Pathfinder

Not to be confused with Piasecki H-16 Transporter.
16H Pathfinder
Piasecki 16H-1 Pathfinder
General information
TypeExperimental high-speed helicopter
ManufacturerPiasecki Aircraft
Primary userUnited States Army
History
First flight21 February 1962 (16H-1)
15 November 1965 (16H-1A)[1]

The Piasecki 16H was a series of compound helicopters produced in the 1960s. The first version of the Pathfinder, the -1 version, first flew in 1962. The similar but larger Pathfinder II, the 16H-1A, was completed in 1965.

Variants

Model 16H-1 Pathfinder
one PWC PT6B-2 with one 405 shp turboshaft engine
Model 16H-1A Pathfinder II
larger version with one 1,250 shp (930 kW) T58-GE-8
Model 16H-1C Pathfinder III
proposed conversion of the 16H-1A with one 1,500 shp (1,100 kW) T58-GE-5 [2]
Model 16H-3J
nine-seat development, not built.

Specifications (16H-1A)

Piasecki's 16H-1A Pathfinder II

Data from U.S. Army Aircraft Since 1947[3]

General characteristics

  • Crew: two pilots
  • Capacity: up to six passengers
  • Length: 37 ft 3 in (11.4 m)
  • Wingspan: 32 ft 10 in (10.0 m)
  • Height: 11 ft 4 in (3.45 m)
  • Empty weight: 4,800 lb (2,165 kg)
  • Gross weight: 10,800 lb (4,870 kg)
  • Powerplant: 1 × General Electric T58-GE-8 turboshaft , 1,250 hp (930 kW)
  • Main rotor diameter: 44 ft 0 in (13.4 m)

Performance

  • Maximum speed: 230 mph (370 km/h, 200 kn)
  • Cruise speed: 175 mph (280 km/h, 152 kn)
  • Range: 950 mi (1,530 km, 830 nmi)
  • Service ceiling: 18,700 ft (5,700 m)

See also

Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era

Related lists

References

Notes
  1. ^ Robb 2006, pp. 42-43
  2. ^ Note: While some sources read as if this variant was completed and flown, Piasecki Aircraft's history site makes no mention of this variant at all.
  3. ^ Harding, Stephen. U.S. Army Aircraft Since 1947. 1997. Atglen, PA: Schiffer Publishing Ltd. LCCN 96-69996.
Bibliography