PISMIS-6 AND THE F0-IA SUPERGIANT HD-74180

New photoelectric UBV observations of stars in the open cluster Pismis 6 and existing Photometry and spectroscopy of several nearby OB stars are used to determine the intrinsic properties of the luminous superg iant HD 74180 (F0 Ia). Thirty cluster members are identified in Pismis 6 and yield a distance modulus of (V0-M(upsilon))=11.34+/-0.09 (s.e.) and mean reddening E(B-V)=0.46+/-0.04 (s.d.). The cluster age is esti mated to be 8+/-2 Myr. Pismis 6 appears to be part of a physical group that includes the F supergiant and the nearby OB stars. The position of HD 74180 in the theoretical HR diagram suggests it MaY be a lower-m ass analogue of the hypergiant IRC+10420, which Jones et al. [ApJ, 411 9 323 (1993)] have suggested is evolving blueward in the HR diagram fr om the red supergiant region, possibly on its way to becoming a Wolf-R ayet star.