Aviation pioneer Frank Piasecki dies

AOPA Online ^ | Feb. 14, 2008 | Thomas A. Horne

[Atchafalaya]

Color me corrected, thanks for the info.

[jas3]

I remember that helicopter in Frank’s backyard.

Also, the article was wrong. He lived and died in HaverFORD, not HaverTOWN. Big difference.

RIP, Frank.

jas3

[usmcobra]

LOW FLIGHT

Oh, I have slipped the surly bonds of Earth
And hovered out of ground effect on semi-rigid blades;
Earthward I’ve auto’ed,
and met the rising brush
Of non-paved terrain - and done a thousand things
You would never care to -
skidded and drooped and flared
Low in the heat-soaked roar.
Confined there,
I’ve chased the earthbound traffic, and lost
The race to insignificant headwinds.
Forward, and a little up, in ground effect
I’ve topped the General’s hedge with drooping turns
Where never Skyhawk, or even Phantom flew.
And, shaking and pulling collective, I’ve lumbered
The low trespassed halls of Victor Airways,
Put out my hand, and touched a tree.

To the best of my knowledge he was still working on a project that would have attached four helicopters to a semi rigid blimp and allowed for a super heavy lift vehicle.