Piasecki Helicopter Corporation, Morton, PA
First Flight: 1951
Six seats
Restored by Boeing Management Association Gold Card volunteers
The HUP series of helicopters was evolved at Piasecki Helicopter Corporation to serve aboard aircraft carriers and other large warships of the U.S. Navy. They were primarily used for search and rescue, plane guard, and general transportation duties. The prototype aircraft for the HUP series was the Piasecki XHJP‑1. The HJP designation was changed to HUP in 1949 when U was substituted for J in aircraft and squadron designations. In the fleet the HUP was known as the “hup‑mobile” or the “shoe” (because of its shape).
This was the first helicopter to have overlapping rotor blades (37% overlap), which reduced the size of the helicopter to facilitate shipboard operation. The HUP could fit on aircraft carrier elevators without folding its blades, and on most cruiser elevators with the blades folded. The pilot and copilot sat in the nose, below the forward rotor. Behind the cockpit, the cabin could accommodate four passengers or three stretchers. The single Continental engine is mounted aft. The tubular, metal‑covered fuselage rested on a fixed undercarriage.
The Navy ordered 32 HUP‑1 variants for shipboard operation. These had all‑weather instrumentation, and some had AN/AQS‑4 dipping sonar fitted for anti-submarine warfare operations (designated HUP‑2’s). A hatch in the bottom of the fuselage permitted personnel to be hoisted directly up into the cabin.
The Marines flew 13 of the Navy HUPs. The Army procured 70 helicopters similar to the HUP‑2, designated H‑25A. These were too small for Army requirements and 50 were transferred to the Navy as HUP‑3’s. The Navy HUP‑2/3 survivors were redesignated UH‑25B/C, respectively, in 1962. The French Navy purchased another 15 HUP‑2’s and the Canadian Navy another 3 HUP‑3’s.
The HUP‑2 Retriever was outfitted with an autopilot that permitted “hands‑off” flying and made the aircraft extremely stable. A large rectangular rescue hatch was located in the belly of the aircraft adjacent to the pilot seat, through which a rescue hoist inside the cabin could lift up to 400 pounds at a time. The Retriever is credited with saving hundreds of lives. After Lt. Colonel John Glenn’s history-making orbital space flight in 1963, a HUP‑2 airlifted him from the pick‑up ship and transported him to the carrier U.S.S. Randolph.
| Aircraft Specifications | |
|---|---|
| Rotor Diameter | 35 ft |
| Fuselage Length | 31 ft 10 in |
| Maximum Speed | 115 mph |
| Cruise Speed | 105 mph |
| Height | 12 ft 6 in |
| Empty Weight | 4,217 lbs |
| Gross Weight | 6,005 lbs |
| Engine | 550 hp Continental R 975 |
| Acquisition Source | Peter Wright Donation |