66-19138

 

 

Boeing CH-47B Chinook 66-19138 working for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), circa approximately 1980. The names of those shown in the photograph are unknown. If you know, please let us know. Click-N-Go Here to view a larger version.

 

 

66-19138, Boeing Build number B-396, was a CH-47B helicopter. The U.S. Army acceptance date was 11 August 1967. 68-15825 accumulated 1,596.0 aircraft hours.    At some point, through an unknown end date, 66-19138 was involved in the TAGS Program (what TAGS stands for or what the program was is unknown) at the Ames Research Center for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), located at Moffett Field, California, and known as NASA 737. 66-19138 was part of NASA's Variable-Stability Research Rotor Craft project. The NASA CH-47 was equipped with a fly by wire control system and three different flight computers.    On 9 October 1990, 66-19138 was inducted and converted to D model 89-00176.    The last known location of 66-19138 was at Boeing during the conversion.    Aircraft status: Converted to D model.

 

 

Pictured below is Boeing CH-47 Chinook 66-19138 working for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) in the vicinity of the Ames Research Center in California, between approximately 1979 through 1986:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We do not have much more than this in the way of information about the above aircraft, or other Chinooks that played a part in the research for NASA. If you have more information and would like to share it, please email us.

 

 

My Name is Kenneth R. Jones and I piloted 66-19138 at NASA Langley AFB, VA in 1976. The aircraft was modified with a single pilot seat on the left side and an experimental Fly by Wire configuration on the right side! There were three CRT's in place of the normal instrumentation on the right. The left seat was used by the safety pilot in case of malfunctions of the right seat configuration!    I was stationed at Fort Eustis, VA and was an instructor pilot with the CH-47 Test Pilots Course. NASA did not have any CH-47 pilots so they asked that one of us be assigned to NASA temporarily, until the NASA pilots were trained. I was lucky enough to be chosen.    Most of flying was doing normal take-offs and landings to a hover, at the National Aviation Facilities Experimental Center, Atlantic City, New Jersey. Where they were developing a Micro-wave Landing System!    I got about 15 hours in the aircraft before they decided to can the project for awhile! I don't believe it flew again at Langley and the last I heard it had been flown to Ames RC.

 

 

This aircraft was piloted by:

 

CW3 Kenneth R. Jones, Pilot, 1976

 

Your Name Here.

 

 

This aircraft was crewed by:

 

SP5 David M. Gorjup, Flight Engineer, 1976 - 1978

 

Your Name Here.

 

 

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