Piasecki HUP Retriever (H-25 Army Mule)

2h ago · © Unknown

Piasecki HUP Retriever (H-25 Army Mule) preserved at the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum. This classic tandem-rotor Navy rescue helicopter is an iconic 1950s design.

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Aircraft

HUP Retriever (H-25 Army Mule) HUP-2

United States Navy, vintage dark/naval coloring

Airline

United States Navy

Manufacturer

Piasecki

Gear

Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max back triple camera 6.765mm f/1.78

Achievements

Heli Hero, Rare Bird, Vintage Voyager, Military Maverick

4 badges earned

Photo grade

Bronze

Score: 75.0

Nice sharpness on the helicopter, but cluttered museum background and tilt detract from subject focus.

Insights

Aviation History

Historic U.S. Navy utility helicopter, first production helicopter with auto-blade folding capability, used for utility, rescue, and training missions from 1949 to early 1960s.

Fleet Rarity

Extremely rare; almost all surviving examples are in museums; very few airworthy worldwide.

Record Flights

No notable record flights, but notable for shipboard deployment on aircraft carriers and rescue operations.

Safety & Events

Early shipboard rescue work, demonstrated new power/handling for tandem-rotor designs.

Future Outlook

Preserved in museum (displayed at Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum as seen here).

Specifications

Continental R-975-46 radial engine

Engine

Helicopter (main rotor diameter): approx. 11.6 m

Wingspan

12.5 m

Length

420 km

Range

156 km/h

Speed

Up to 6 people or 1,130 kg cargo

Capacity

3,266 kg

MTOW

4.1 m

Height

N/A (pre-ICAO standards, but relatively high for helicopters of era)

Noise