Piasecki H-21 Shawnee

[BrandonF]

This thing is soooooo cool! The only one that still flies is here in San Diego, California. What's your worthless opinion on it?

[specter177]

Didn't it just crash?

[edit]Never mind, that was an H-25.[/edit]

[BrandonF]

The H-25 belonged to the same museum that owns the Shawnee. Three died in the crash.

[specter177]

I can think of 10 planes uglier than that off the top of my head.

[SeanTK]

It's definitely a unique helicopter that was designed to perform acceptably until more advanced aircraft came about. Piasecki seems to have a number of arguably unconventional designs, but if it works well, it doesn't need to be fixed for aesthetics.

[grizzard]

Great picture. I worked on those in the late 50s in Hawaii ... and off the island of Hawaii. We drug targets around so they could tune up one of the satellite tracking antennas.  Noisy chopper .... carried 19 troops.

[BrandonF]

Thanks for the replies! Ok, 5 people have voted "It's the ugliest thing on the face of the Earth!" Quit voting for that!  The Airbus A380 is the ugliest thing on the face of the earth! Well, that and the Airbus A300ST. 

[The Snake 87]

I prefer the Blackhawks in the background, but that's just me, my dad didn't crew chief one or anything...   ;D

I think it is actually a pretty cool aircraft. It has a spunk to it, like, it has it's own style. I would take it any day.