Piasecki 16H Pathfinder

16H Pathfinder
16H Pathfinder
	Piasecki 16H-1 Pathfinder
General information
Type	Experimental high-speed helicopter
Manufacturer	Piasecki Aircraft
Primary user	United States Army
History
First flight	21 February 1962 (16H-1) ; 15 November 1965 (16H-1A)

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)

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)

References

Notes

^ Robb 2006, pp. 42-43
^ 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.
^ Harding, Stephen. U.S. Army Aircraft Since 1947. 1997. Atglen, PA: Schiffer Publishing Ltd. LCCN 96-69996.