PIASECKI H-25 RETRIEVER
$9.95
Title: Piasecki H-25 Retriever
The Piasecki H-25 was an eight-place tandem rotor helicopter developed for the U.S. Navy for naval rescue operations and first flew in 1948. Over 330 were built between 1949 and 1954, the first 32 being the HUP-1 model followed by the HUP-2 with a more powerful engine and detail equipment and configuration changes. The HUP-2 was the first helicopter to be equipped with an autopilot and also the first to complete a loop, although inadvertently during a test flight to demonstrate its ability to withstand “g”.
The US Army evaluated the type as a light cargo and utility helicopter and had 63 examples in service at one point, but these were quickly returned to US Navy service with 3 examples being passed to the Canadian Navy. A small number were procured by the French Navy. Most examples were retired from military service by the mid 1960’s, with a significant number passing onto the civil market. The last airworthy civil example was badly damaged in a fatal accident in 2009 when it struck overhead cables.
This title contains the US Navy flight manual and maintenance manual for the Piasecki H-25 Retriever. The files have been scanned from the original flight manuals and retain any colour pages.