Learning Center Our Enshrinees

Frank Nicholas Piasecki

• Founded the PV-Engineering Forum in 1940 that developed transport helicopters and vertical lift aircraft.
• Flew the PV-Engineering Forum’s first helicopter, the PV-2, on April 11th, 1943 which was the second successful helicopter to fly in America.
• Convinced the U.S. Navy to grant the forum a contract to design a large tandem rotor helicopter and piloted the world’s first successful tandem rotor helicopter in 1945.
• Created the HUP in 1948 which was the first helicopter to complete an aerial loop and would later become the first production helicopter equipped with an auto-pilot feature.
• First person to qualify with the Civil Aeronautics Administration (now FAA) as a helicopter pilot prior to receiving his fixed wing pilot’s license.
• Designed and test flew over 20 different rotary wing aircraft world wide.
• Developed the Airgeep in 1958 and the Pathfinder in 1962.
• Developed and flew the Heli-Stat, a hybrid dynamic-static heavy lift aircraft.
• Engaged in improving the speed, range, maneuverability and agility of the AH-64 Apache and the AH-1W Super Cobra by adding a wing and his “Ring-Tail.”