CH-21 Shawnee

The H-21 Shawnee was the fourth of a line of tandem rotor helicopters designed and built by Piasecki (later Boeing Vertol). Commonly called the "flying banana", it was a multi-mission helicopter, utilizing wheels, skis, or floats. It was used for Arctic rescue because it performed so well at low temperatures. The CH-21 served with the United States Army from 1949 to 1964, and also with the U.S. Air Force (as the H-21 Workhorse), the French Navy, the Royal Canadian Air Force and the West German Air Force. The French used an armed version of the CH-21 in Algeria, mounting guns in the door ways and on the skids.

The CH-21B assault helicopter could carry 22 fully-equipped troops, or 12 stretchers, plus space for two medical attendants, in the MedEvac role. The CH-21B was first deployed to Viet Nam in December 1961 with the Army's 8th and 57th Transportation Companies, in support of ARVN (Army Vietnam) troops. The CH-21B/CH-21C Shawnee could be armed with 7.62 mm (.308 in) or 12.7 mm (.50 in) door guns. The CH-21 was relatively slow. Its cables and fuel lines were so vulnerable to small arms fire it was even rumored that a CH-21 had been downed by a Viet Cong spear. The Shawnee was the "Workhorse" of Vietnam until 1964 when it was replaced with the fielding of the UH-1 Huey in 1963, and the later fielding of the CH-47 Chinook in the mid-1960s. The Shawnee had two tandem fully-articulated three-bladed counter-rotating rotors. The CH-21 was powered by one Curtis-Wright R1820–103 Cyclone supercharged 1150 hp piston engine. The CH-21B was equipped with an uprated 1425 shaft horsepower (1063 kW) engine. The CH-21 had a top speed of 128 mph (111 knots).

Specifications (CH-21C)

General characteristics

• Crew: two pilots
• Capacity: 22 troops or 12 stretchers
• Length: 52 ft 6 in (16.00 m)
• Main rotor diameter: 2x 44 ft 0 in (13.40 m)
• Height: 15 ft 9 in (4.80 m)
• Main rotor area: 3,041 ft² (282.7 m²)
• Empty: 8,950 lb (4,058 kg)
• Loaded: 15,200 lb (6,893 kg)
• Maximum takeoff: lb ( kg)
• Powerplant: 1 x Wright R-1820-103 radial engine, 1,425 hp (1,063 kW)

Performance

• Maximum speed: 127 mph (204 km/h)
• Range: 265 miles (426 km)
• Service ceiling: 9,450 ft (2,880 m)
• Rate of climb: ft/min ( m/min)
• Main rotor loading: 5 lb/ft² (24 kg/m²)
• Power/mass: 0.09 hp/lb (150 W/kg)

Armament

Varying, but usually twin or quad .50 (12.7 mm) machine guns mounted in various places

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Comparable aircraft:

Designation sequence: UH-19 - XH-20 - YH-18 - CH-21 - YH-22 - OH-23 - YH-24