Piasecki VZ-2

Piasecki Helicopter Corporation · United States · first flew 1957 · light aircraft

The Piasecki VZ-2 was an American tilt-wing VTOL research aircraft built to investigate the concept of a tilting wing for transitioning between vertical and forward flight. It was one of the earliest successful tilt-wing designs.

Recognition (WEFT)

WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.

Spot it by:

• Tilt-wing VTOL research aircraft with a single turboshaft engine
• Full-span tilting high wing rotates to direct thrust for vertical take-off
• Tandem open cockpit research platform with fixed-pitch propeller on wing

Identified by its high wing that tilts from horizontal (cruise) to vertical (hover), a large propeller mounted directly to the wing, and an open tandem cockpit. The configuration is wholly unlike any conventional aircraft.

Specifications

• The Piasecki VZ-2 has a length of 8.05 m (26 ft).
• It has a wingspan of 7.59 m (25 ft).
• Its maximum speed is 340 km/h (211 mph).
• Typical crew: 1.

Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.

History

Developed for the US Army as part of a broad investigation into VTOL concepts in the late 1950s, the VZ-2 first flew in August 1957. It successfully demonstrated the tilt-wing concept and provided valuable aerodynamic data used in later VTOL designs, including the XC-142. The programme concluded in the early 1960s.

Variants

Only one prototype was constructed.

Where you'll see it

Strictly a research and evaluation aircraft. Operated jointly by the US Army and NASA at Langley Research Center.

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