The H-21 | America's Banana in Vietnam

Hello everyone, I'm Johnny and today we are taking a look at a flying banana, or more technically a Piasecki H-21, a beautiful tandem rotor helicopter, one that's most appealing. So let's check it out. The flying banana is naturally a common name for the H-21 and it comes from a family of tandem pioneered by Frank Piasecki, who began developing such designs in the 1940s. The H-21 was a multi-mission helicopter. It could be equipped with wheels, skis, or floats. 707 were built between 1952 and 1959 and it was officially retired in 1967. The banana was flown by the US Air Force and US Army. Foreign military operators include Canada, France, Japan, Sweden, West Germany, and Zaire. The H-21 saw significant use with the US Army and became known as the Shawnee. It was used to transport troops and supplies during the Vietnam War, and it was first deployed to South Vietnam in 1961. However, America was not the first nation to use the banana in war. France deployed bananas in 1956 during the Algerian War, using them both for troop transport and as attack helicopters, mounting forward firing rockets and machine guns. It was deemed early on in this war that the banana wasn't maneuverable enough to act as a ground attack aircraft. However, it continued to be used in this war as a troop transport, and door-mounted guns like the Browning .50 Cal were used as defensive armament when landing assault forces under fire. The US Army also experimented with mounting guns to the H-21, including using a remote .50 caliber turret mounted beneath the nose. But like the French, the helicopter was primarily used for troop transport, and when armed, used door gun mounts. Deployment of the banana in Vietnam lasted from December of 1961 until June of 1964, when it began being supplemented and then replaced by the Bell UH-1 Huey, and later the Chinook. The banana had major operating issues in Vietnam. It was slow and had unprotected control cables and fuel lines, making it easy prey for anti-aircraft machine guns used by the Viet Cong. In July of 1962, a banana was shot down near the Vietnam-Laos border, becoming one of the first American aircraft to be shot down during the war, with the loss of four men. The H-21 was designed for cold weather operations, and not the hot, humid weather of Vietnam. Engines rated for 600 hours of flying time were lasting only 200 hours. It further suffered reduced lift capacity, with the engines prone to overheating. Instead of carrying its rated 20 fully equipped infantrymen, it could only reliably carry 9. Under ideal conditions, its cargo capacity was impressive, with room for 12 stretchers, plus space for two medical attendants. The flying banana is obviously most distinguishable by its shape, which accommodates the large rotor blades. Each rotor has three blades, each with a diameter of 44 feet or 13.41 meters. The upward angle of the aft fuselage ensures that these rotors do not strike the fuselage in any flight attitude. Length of the H-21C is 52 feet 6 inches, or 16 meters. Powerplant is one single-right R-1820-103 Cyclone 9-cylinder air-cooled radial engine, producing 1,425 horsepower, an upgrade over the original 1,150 horsepower engine, but still largely underpowered for the helicopter's size and weight. Maximum speed of this banana is 127 miles per hour, or 204 kilometers an hour. Range is 265 miles, or 426 kilometers. Service ceiling is 9,540 feet. With the help of in-flight refueling, it was the first helicopter to cross the United States non-stop. First variants of the H-21, the 21A and 21B were used by the United States Air Force and Royal Canadian Air Force to serve the North and service early warning radar installations in the Arctic and the Aleutian Islands. It could also support rescue missions in areas like Alaska. Overall, it performed well in cold weather, just not in the heat. Despite its failings in Vietnam, it did help develop helicopter doctrine. It was the first U.S. military helicopter to be routinely fitted with door-mounted machine guns for defense, and served as a testbed for early helicopter air assault and ground support tactics. Alright, I'm Johnny, thanks for watching. I'm sure this video was difficult to peel away from. Anyway, if you thought the video was fruitful, do hit the like button. But most importantly, do take care, and have a nice rest of your day.