Vertol 42 Work Horse
The Piasecki H-21 Workhorse was a tandem-rotor helicopter with two large rotors mounted at opposite ends of its long fuselage. Its unusual banana-shaped profile earned nicknames such as ‘Flying Banana’, while the tandem layout eliminated the need for a tail rotor. H-21s flew transport and rescue missions in Korea, Algeria, and early Vietnam operations. The design showed how tandem rotors could give a helicopter a large usable cabin before more familiar types such as the Chinook arrived.
Did you know?
Its banana-shaped fuselage and two large tandem rotors, with no tail rotor at all, earned the H-21 its 'Flying Banana' nickname.
Specifications
| Length | 16 m (52 ft) |
|---|---|
| Height | 4 m (13 ft) |
| Rotor diameter | 13.4 m (44 ft) |
| Maximum passengers | 20 |
| Persons on board | 22 |
| Crew | 2 |
| Maximum take-off weight | 6.6 t |
| Range | 250 NM (463 km) |
| Maximum speed | 110 kt (204 km/h) |
| Service ceiling | 10,000 ft (3,048 m) |
| Engines | 1x Wright R-1820-103 |
| Units built | 707 |
Curated by CatchFlights from manufacturer documents, ICAO Doc 8643 and reference works; values are left out where no source could confirm them. Sources are listed on our credits page.
In CatchFlights
In CatchFlights the Vertol 42 Work Horse starts as a Legendary catch. The tier is an editorial judgement of how special a sighting of this type is. The more often you catch it, the closer it moves to Common for you. The first catch of a legendary type pays a bonus of its own.
A catch counts for the manufacturer Vertol, the 42 Work Horse family and the model in your collection, and the daily Type Rating quiz asks about the types of each family.
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