Piasecki CH-21 Shawnee 56-2077Photographed on 10 September 2006 at the US Army Transportation Museum, Fort Eustis, Virginia.
Commonly called the "flying banana" (in Sweden too, where its successor the Vertol Model 44A served as the Hkp 1), it was a multi-mission helicopter, utilizing wheels, skis, or floats.
The H-21 was originally developed by Piasecki as an Arctic rescue helicopter. The H-21 had winterization features permitting operation at temperatures as low as -65 degrees F, and could be routinely maintained in severe cold weather environments.
The upward angle of the aft fuselage ensured the large rotors did not hit each other in flight.
Picture added on 25 January 2012 at 08:18
