CH-21 Shawnee

Encyclopedia : C : CH : CH2 : CH-21 Shawnee

USAF CH-21B at the National Museum of the United States Air Force

Shawnees in formation over South Vietnam in 1962

A Shawnee over rice paddies in Vietnam

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 Vietnam 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 it was replaced with the fielding of the UH-1 Huey, 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).

CH-21 Shawnee

Specifications (CH-21C)

Related content