Formed June 1955 by Frank Piasecki, who was concerned
in development of vertical-lift aircraft and flew the Model
59K Sky-Car flying jeep with an Artouste turboshaft engine
in 1958 under a U.S. Army contract. Technical interchange
agreements signed with Breguet Aviation in 1957
included sales rights for that company's STOL transports
in the U.S.A. and Canada, but these were dropped in 1962.
Also provided engineering assistance to Agusta from 1960
for the AZ-101G and AZ-105 helicopters. Built prototype
of PiAC 16H-1C Pathfinder compound helicopter in 1962,
continuing development under a U.S. Navy contract, but no production followed Reseat died the possibility of linking
helicopter and aerostat pi maples with the proposed
Heli-Stat. Recent work includes developing vectoiod-thrust
ducted propeller system for attack helicopters mulei U.S
Army contract, definition of a possible U.S. Marine Coips
medium-lift replacement type, and marketing the PZL Swidnik W-3A in the Americas and Pacific Rim reuions.
