Helicopter Prototype By Joseph Pidek, Canada

Jemiba

Moderator
Staff member
Top Contributor
Senior Member
Joined
11 March 2006
Messages
8,538
Reaction score
5,022
This twin seat, twin engined helicopter made its maiden flight during the summer of 1962.
With a weight of 300 kg an rotor diameter of 6.90m, it was powered by two laterally mounted
motorbike engines of 50 hp each. Series production with two 100 hp engines was planned,
but never came to fruition. Mentioned in Flight 1962 (http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1962/1962%20-%200896.html)
photo and data are from "Der Flieger", October 1963.
 

Attachments

  • J_Pidek_helicopter_Ca.jpg
    J_Pidek_helicopter_Ca.jpg
    128.4 KB · Views: 247
Great info my dear Jemiba,


and also it was called J.P.2B.
 
Hi,

An amateur ultralight helicopter. Poland / Canada,

Former pilot of the Polish Air Force in Great Britain, Joseph (Józef)
Pidek emigrated to Canada after World War II. In the 1960s, he built
two ultralight, amateur 2-seat helicopters Pidek JP.2B and Pidek PI-4
in Vancouver.The PI-4 was powered by two 110 kW (150 HP) turbine
engines located on the sides of the fuselage.

http://www.samolotypolskie.pl/samoloty/2095/126/Pidek-PI-42
 
From Aeroplane 1961.
 

Attachments

  • 1.png
    1.png
    660.2 KB · Views: 46
From http://www.samolotypolskie.pl/samoloty/2096/126/Pidek-Joseph-Jozef - described as Mr Pidek with his family next to the Pidek JP.2B helicopter.

BTW: I most of all love such rare but actually built helicopters.
Pidek_JP.2B_01.jpg
 
From JAWA 1967-1968,

a more Info about PI-4 helicopter.
 

Attachments

  • 3.png
    3.png
    271.6 KB · Views: 23
Interesting stuff, folks.

The samolotypolskie-pl page lists Pidek JP.2B powerplants as modified 50 hp 4-cylinder Ariel motorcycle engines. That description eliminates the Ariel-badged BSA A10 2-cylinder. [1] So, the engines have to have been the old 998 cc 4-cylinder Ariel Square Four Mark IIs.

The 'Squariel' was an odd design with paired 2x2 cylinders. It was produced until 1958 but the Mark II was a heavily revised derivative of a 1930 design. A stock Square Four Mark II produced 40 hp @ 5,500 rpm in standard tune. However, the Healey brothers later tuned the engine to 50 hp @ 6,000 rpm. That 20% increase in power didn't occur until the 1970s ... but it does prove that such outputs were possible with a retuned 'Squariel'.

-- https://silodrome.com/history-ariel-square-four/

The samolotypolskie-pl page claims that twin 100 hp aircraft engines - Lycoming or Continental - were planned replacements for the Pidek JP.2B. In other words, this was to be a prototype conversion for the proposed production type. But this conversion seems never to have happened. And that brings up the turbine-powered Pidek Pi-4.

Some sources claim that the Pi-4 was the JP.2B re-engined with turbines. But the last clipping by @hesham makes clear that the Pi-4 airframe was revised compared with the original JP.2B (specifically in tailboom arrangement and undercarriage type). So, reply #2 was in error - JP.2B was not another name for Pi-4.

That clipping also makes clear that, for testing, the Pi-4 was fitted with the 50 hp Ariel engines from the JP.2B. The turbine engines - of Pidek's original design - were not expected to appear "before the end of 1968". In the meantime, Joseph Pidek had incorporated as Pidek Industries & Co with an address on Lulu Island. So, the question is: Was the turbine engine ever completed? Or had Pidek over-extend himself?

___________________________________

[1] Ariel-badged BSA A10 engines powered Ariel Huntsman bikes which were produced until 1959. However, the A10 displaced only 646 cc and Jens' clipping clearly reads: "50 PS 1000 ccm Motorradmotoren".
 

Similar threads

Back
Top Bottom