PIASECKI HUP-2 HELICOPTER

A Life Aloft

Well-Known Member
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After some 6 plus months, this helicopter is being moved to the Battleship Iowa today to become part of the Naval Museum at the Los Angeles Harbor in San Pedro.

The HUP-2 helicopter was trailered from the American Helicopter Museum in West Chester, Pennsylvania. Originally produced at Piasecki Factories for the U.S. NAVY in the early 1950’s, it saw action in the Korean War and was in service until 1962. Only 165 HUP-2 helicopters were put in service during the Korean War and few have survived.

The addition of this HUP-2 helicopter to the Battleship Iowa Museum will help share the story of the evolution of battleship aviation and expand the narrative of the ship’s involvement in the Korean War. Although the USS Iowa was built for World War II, she had more engagement in the Korean War alongside HUP-2 helicopters, which emphasizes the significant relationship between the two.

The aviation story of Battleship IOWA dates back to when she was first commissioned in 1943. Originally, Battleship IOWA was equipped with catapult based float planes that would be launched from the deck of the ship and recovered with a crane from the water upon returning to the ship and landing on water. Shortly after the end of World War II, the flight deck was modified to act as one of the first helicopter flight decks aboard a surface combatant. During the ship’s service in the Korean War, helicopters operated from the flight deck of IOWA for critical missions such as rescuing downed pilots, forward observation, and supply replenishment.

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Yes this is So. Ca........our field reporters wear Hawaiian shirts and Crocs. lol That's Gayle Anderson from Channel 5.
 
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This the one sitting in a hangar in TOA? I've seen one poking through the fence but could never get close enough to ask about it.
 
This the one sitting in a hangar in TOA? I've seen one poking through the fence but could never get close enough to ask about it.
Yes. They brought her down in early October of last year, had a fundraising campaign on Go Fund me and she is now fully restored and being moved to the deck of Iowa this afternoon. The Lyons Aircraft team from SNA, Navy Vets and other volunteers from the Iowa did the full restoration.


 
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Yes. They brought her down in early October of last year, had a fundraising campaign on Go Fund me and she is now fully restored and being moved to the deck of Iowa this afternoon. Navy Vets and other volunteers from the Iowa did the full restoration.

Lots of cool stuff there, too bad that airport is so locked down.
 
I think that's the only Army helicopter besides the Cobra that I've seen without a Native American name (H-25 Mule).
 
Lots of cool stuff there, too bad that airport is so locked down.
Collings was just there for four days and offered walk through tours and rides on their B-17, B-24, B-25 and TF-51D. It was really cool.

There are a lot of events during the year at Torrence, you just have to watch for them.

BTW, Collings will be all over So. Ca. for the next few months. Here's their schedule:

http://www.collingsfoundation.org/events/

There is going to be a warbird review with a lot of planes at Torrance on May 20th for Armed Forces day. http://www.wmof.com/upcomingevents.pdf

The museum is always looking for volunteers and that's an excellent way to gain access to pretty much all the great planes already restored, those that are in the process and the guys that own warbirds that are hangared there are often around especially on the weekends.

You could also consider joining the Del Amo Flyers Club.Very active club, lot's of great guys and events.
http://delamoflyers.org/about-us/about-del-amo-flyers

Their facebook page is easier to read than their homepage: https://www.facebook.com/delamoflyers
 
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Collings was just there for four days and offered walk through tours and rides on their B-17, B-24, B-25 and TF-51D. It was really cool.

There are a lot of events during the year at Torrence, you just have to watch for them.

BTW, Collings will be all over So. Ca. for the next few months. Here's their schedule:

http://www.collingsfoundation.org/events/

There is going to be a warbird review with a lot of planes at Torrance on May 20th for Armed Forces day. http://www.wmof.com/upcomingevents.pdf

The museum is always looking for volunteers and that's an excellent way to gain access to pretty much all the great planes already restored, those that are in the process and the guys that own warbirds that are hangared there are often around especially on the weekends.

You could also consider joining the Del Amo Flyers Club.Very active club, lot's of great guys and events.
http://delamoflyers.org/about-us/about-del-amo-flyers

Their facebook page is easier to read than their homepage: https://www.facebook.com/delamoflyers

Saw them last week in Torrance, both planes set of car alarms on departure.



 
Many of the early helos were radial engine powered, the H-19 and H-34 series which were popular models. Later versions of the H-34 were turbine.

Funny they brought a UH-25 all the way from the east coast, when there's at least 10-15 models of the same helo, in about the same condition, in a few scrapyards that surround the DMA airbase here.
 
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After some 6 plus months, this helicopter is being moved to the Battleship Iowa today to become part of the Naval Museum at the Los Angeles Harbor in San Pedro.

The HUP-2 helicopter was trailered from the American Helicopter Museum in West Chester, Pennsylvania. Originally produced at Piasecki Factories for the U.S. NAVY in the early 1950’s, it saw action in the Korean War and was in service until 1962. Only 165 HUP-2 helicopters were put in service during the Korean War and few have survived.

The addition of this HUP-2 helicopter to the Battleship Iowa Museum will help share the story of the evolution of battleship aviation and expand the narrative of the ship’s involvement in the Korean War. Although the USS Iowa was built for World War II, she had more engagement in the Korean War alongside HUP-2 helicopters, which emphasizes the significant relationship between the two.

The aviation story of Battleship IOWA dates back to when she was first commissioned in 1943. Originally, Battleship IOWA was equipped with catapult based float planes that would be launched from the deck of the ship and recovered with a crane from the water upon returning to the ship and landing on water. Shortly after the end of World War II, the flight deck was modified to act as one of the first helicopter flight decks aboard a surface combatant. During the ship’s service in the Korean War, helicopters operated from the flight deck of IOWA for critical missions such as rescuing downed pilots, forward observation, and supply replenishment.

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Yes this is So. Ca........our field reporters wear Hawaiian shirts and Crocs. lol That's Gayle Anderson from Channel 5.


Gale Anderson is a SoCal icon! She's done a lot for different communities, so much so that they now have a "Gale Anderson Day."

We need more reporters like her.
 
Gale Anderson is a SoCal icon! She's done a lot for different communities, so much so that they now have a "Gale Anderson Day."

We need more reporters like her.
She's hysterical. Everyone loves her. She is a trip. I don't think there's an outfit/costume that she hasn't worn or some stunt she hasn't tried. She promotes and does a lot of charity work. You should have seen her at the Pet Expo at the Costa Mesa Fairgrounds this past weekend.

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She is hysterical. Everyone loves her. She is a trip. I don't think there's an outfit/costume that she hasn't worn or some stunt she hasn't tried. She promotes and does a lot of charity work. You should have seen her at the Pet Expo at the Costa Mesa Fairgrounds this past weekend.

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I watch the early version of the morning news every day (5am, sometimes 4am), KTLA has been my first choice for many years.
 
They had a HUP on static display at MCAS El Toro, I remember my dad driving by it once saying something to the effect of " you can take the left seater-you can take lunch, but you can't take both...."


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Many of the early helos were radial engine powered, the H-19 and H-34 series which were popular models. Later versions of the H-34 were turbine.

Funny they brought a UH-25 all the way from the east coast, when there's at least 10-15 models of the same helo, in about the same condition, in a few scrapyards that surround the DMA airbase here.
Oh, I'm very aware. I'm mostly saying that today's rotor pilots aren't even half as crazy as the ones that came before them.
 
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