| Frank Nicolas Piasecki | |
| Birth Date: | October 24, 1919 |
| Birth Place: | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Death Place: | Haverford, Pennsylvania, U.S.[1] |
| Known For: | Designing tandem rotor helicopters |
| Alma Mater: | New York University |
| Occupation: | Helicopter designer |
| Spouse: | Vivian Weyerhaeuser Piasecki |
| Children: | Nicole, Frederick, John, Lynn, Frank, Michael, and Gregory |
Frank Nicolas Piasecki (; pronounced as /pl/; October 24, 1919 – February 11, 2008) was an American engineer and helicopter aviation pioneer. Piasecki pioneered tandem rotor helicopter designs and created the compound helicopter concept of vectored thrust using a ducted propeller.[2]
Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to an immigrant Polish tailor, Piasecki worked for autogyro manufacturers while still attending Overbrook High School,[3] then studied mechanical engineering at the University of Pennsylvania before graduating with a bachelor's degree from New York University. He was employed by the Platt-LePage Aircraft Company as a control engineer on their XR-1 twin-rotor project.[4] In 1940, he formed PV Engineering Forum with former Pennsylvania classmate Harold Venzie.[5] He built a single-person, single-rotor helicopter designated the PV-2 and flew it on April 11, 1943. This helicopter impressed the United States Navy sufficiently to win Piasecki a development contract.[6]
The name PV Engineering was changed to Piasecki Helicopter Corporation in 1946. After a boardroom dispute, Piasecki was forced out of Piasecki Helicopter in 1955, and formed the Piasecki Aircraft Company.
At Piasecki Aircraft, he participated in the development of the Piasecki 16H-1 the world's first shaft driven compound helicopter, the PA-59K/VZ-8P Flying Geep (also known as the AirGeep) the Piasecki PA-97 Helistat heavy vertical airlifter and the Piasecki X-49 experimental compound helicopter.
Piasecki married Vivian Weyerhaeuser on December 20, 1958.[7] They had seven children: Nicole, Frederick, John, Lynn, Frank, Michael, and Gregory.[8]
His son John W. Piasecki is now President and CEO of Piasecki Aircraft. His son Fred W. Piasecki is Chairman of the Board and Chief Technology Officer of Piasecki Aircraft.[9] His daughter Nicole Piasecki was the vice president and general manager of Propulsion Systems for Boeing Commercial Airplanes.[10] [11]
Piasecki died at his home on February 11, 2008, of a heart attack after a series of strokes. He was 88.