H-47 CHINOOK
An RAF pilot and co-pilot navigate their CH-47 over Wales
“THE LACK OF A TAIL ROTOR PERMITS NEARLY 100 PER CENT POWER TO BE USED FOR LIFT, MAKING IT IDEAL FOR AIRCRAFT RECOVERY MISSIONS”
Initially designed and built by Boeing Vertol in the early 1960s, the CH-47 Chinook is now manufactured by Boeing Rotorcraft Systems at their recently modernised Ridley Park facility near Philadelphia. The CH-47A first entered service with the United States Army on 16 August 1962. Due to the outbreak of the Vietnam War in 1965, the Chinook entered into a baptism of fire on the front line and was heavily utilised, providing a heavy-lift capability. For a short time it also operated as a gunship.
The lack of a tail rotor permits nearly 100 per cent power to be used for lift, making it ideal for aircraft recovery missions, salvaging many damaged airframes. This recovery effort returned thousands of aircraft to service through regeneration programs and saved the USA billions of dollars. In total 349 CH-47As were built, but many of these suffered damage and 79 were lost during Vietnam.
The need for higher performance saw the CH-47B/C quickly designed and introduced.
The CH-47B had Allied Signal Engines T55-L-7C – rated
