H-21 Shawnee – PDF

The Piasecki H-21 Shawnee was developed from a series of tandem-rotor helicopters designed by Piasecki Helicopter during the late 1940s and early 1950s. Its distinctive upward-curving fuselage provided clearance between the large front and rear rotors and earned the aircraft its familiar “Flying Banana” nickname. Originally developed from helicopters intended for operations in demanding environments, the H-21 evolved into a capable transport aircraft able to carry troops, supplies, and equipment into areas difficult to reach by conventional means.

The H-21 served with several branches of the U.S. military, with the U.S. Army adopting the H-21C Shawnee as a troop transport. During the early years of American involvement in Vietnam, Army H-21s were deployed to South Vietnam to provide helicopter transportation and support for South Vietnamese forces. The Shawnee carried troops into landing zones, evacuated casualties, transported supplies, and helped establish many of the helicopter assault techniques that would become a defining feature of the Vietnam War.

Operations in Vietnam also demonstrated the increasing vulnerability of transport helicopters to ground fire. H-21s operated in an environment considerably different from that for which the aircraft had originally been designed, and the type was eventually replaced by newer helicopters such as the UH-1 Iroquois and CH-47 Chinook. Nevertheless, its early combat operations provided valuable experience in the development of American airmobile warfare.

The H-21 Shawnee occupies an important position in the evolution of military helicopter operations. Its tandem-rotor configuration provided substantial lifting capability for its era, while its service in Southeast Asia helped demonstrate the tactical possibilities of moving troops directly around the battlefield by helicopter. The distinctive “Flying Banana” became an important predecessor to the more advanced transport helicopters that followed.

U.S. Military Service: 1952–1967
Number Built: 707

What’s Included:

• 12 1.5” square counter images
• 24 1” square counter images
• 35 .75” square counter images
• 40 .625” square counter images
• Numbered Images to assist with game organization and tracking
• Printable PDF format for personal gaming use

Each image size is contained on a ½ sheet.

• Enables users to save paper and print 2 types of aircraft on the same page.
• Print one set of aircraft images then reverse the page in the printer and print a second type of your choice on the same page.