Helicopter pioneer Frank Piasecki founded PV Engineering in 1940 and flew his first helicopter, the single seat PV-2, in 1943. Renamed Piasecki Helicopter Corporation in 1946, Mr. Piasecki left the company in 1955 to form the Piasecki Aircraft Company. Concentrating on compound helicopter and other advanced vertical flight designs, the original Pathfinder flew in 1962. Pictured at the Vertical Flight Society's Forum75, the larger Pathfinder II flew in 1965 under a joint Army/Navy development contract. It was returned to the Piasecki in 1968 for further company funded research.