Английская Википедия:Frank Piasecki

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Шаблон:Infobox person

Frank Nicolas Piasecki (Шаблон:IPAc-en Шаблон:Respell; Шаблон:IPA-pl; 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.[1]

Early life and education

Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to an immigrant Polish tailor, Piasecki worked for autogyro manufacturers while still attending Overbrook High School,[2] 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.[3] In 1940, he formed PV Engineering Forum with former Pennsylvania classmate Harold Venzie.[4] 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.[5]

Career

Файл:Piasecki Reagan.jpg
Piasecki (L) receives the National Medal of Technology from U.S. President Ronald Reagan in the 1980s.
Файл:Vertol CH-21B Workhorse USAF.jpg
A Piasecki H-21 showing the tandem rotor design

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.[6]

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

Piasecki married Vivian Weyerhaeuser on December 20, 1958.[7] They had seven children: Nicole, Frederick, John, Lynn, Frank, Michael, and Gregory.[6]

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.[8] His daughter Nicole Piasecki was the vice president and general manager of Propulsion Systems for Boeing Commercial Airplanes.[9][10]

Later life and death

Piasecki died at his home on February 11, 2008, of a heart attack after a series of strokes. He was 88.

Awards

See also

Шаблон:Portal

References

Шаблон:Reflist

External links

Шаблон:Boeing Vertol

Шаблон:Authority control

  1. Spenser, Jay P. Whirlybirds, A History of the U.S. Helicopter Pioneers. University of Washington Press, 1998. Шаблон:ISBN.
  2. Шаблон:Cite web
  3. Шаблон:Cite web
  4. P-V Engineering Forum PV-2 Шаблон:Webarchive - Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum
  5. Wall Street Journal, February 16–17, 2008, p. A6
  6. 6,0 6,1 Шаблон:Cite web
  7. Twining, Charles E. F.K. Weyerhaeuser: A Biography. St. Paul, Minn: Minnesota Historical Society Press, 1997. p. 289. Шаблон:ISBN
  8. Шаблон:Cite web
  9. Шаблон:Cite web
  10. "All Female Flight"
  11. Шаблон:Cite web