New Chinook models extend heavylift helicopter's lifeWhat began as another remanufacture of the US Army's long-serving CH-47 Chinooks has evolved into a programme that will keep the heavylift helicopter in production beyond 2018 - and in service beyond 2030. The renewal of the Chinook coincides with a renaissance of the helicopter in the aerial assault role it performed in the Vietnam War. Because of its size, the CH-47 had been reassigned to logistics missions behind the line, but the superior hot and high performance provided by its tandem rotors has made the helicopter essential to combat operations in Afghanistan.
"The CH-47F is out in the front line performing aerial assault, with a fully digital glass cockpit, networked communications and state of the art aircraft survivability equipment," says programme manager Ken Eland. The special-operations version, the MH-47G, was first deployed to Afghanistan in February 2007, followed by the regular army's F model.
These helicopters are the first of a planned 452 CH-47Fs for the US Army and 61 MH-47Gs for the army's 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne). They are being produced under what began as the Improved Cargo Helicopter programme. This was intended to remanufacture the Chinooks to restore their life and increase their capability. At the same time as the regular army's D models were upgraded to Fs, the special operations E models were to be rebuilt as Gs.
Because of changes to the timing and scope of the programme, the CH-47Fs now rolling off the Boeing assembly line in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania are more capable machines than originally envisaged. "The F and the G were part of the same acquisition plan," says Eland. "The Gs were to be interspersed between the Fs, but then the army decided to stand up the Gs early. That gave us an opportunity to make many changes to the F."
Boeing built three CH-47Fs - two development and one low-rate initial production aircraft, the first flying in June 2001 - then switched to producing the MH-47Gs. Because Special Operations Command is both replacing attrition and increasing its fleet, the 61 G models will be a mix of remanufacturedMH-47Es and CH-47Ds.
Link to full story
http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2008/04/01/222555/new-chinook-models-extend-heavylift-helicopters-life.html
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