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The Front Page
- General News concerning the Boeing CH-47 Chinook - |
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7 May 2005: U.S. Marines provide security as fellow Marines exit a CH-47D Chinook helicopter while conducting security and ambush patrols in the Sarkani Valley of Afghanistan. The Marines of India Company, 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment are conducting security and stabilization operations in the valley.
Click-N-Go Here to read more about Chinook helicopter operations in Afghanistan. |
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Singapore Chinooks Rescue Victims of Earthquake |
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14 April 2005: Singapore soldiers carry an earthquake victim to a Singapore Air Force CH-47SD Chinook helicopter at Gunungsitoli on the Indonesian island of Nias. Children on the quake-hit Indonesian island of Nias tried to return to schools on Monday, only to find many destroyed and some teachers afraid to resume classes as aftershocks rattled damaged buildings. |
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11 January 2005: The US Army has received approval to dispose of hundreds of used Boeing CH-47 Chinook transport helicopters on the export market and use the proceeds to help buy 300 new-build Chinooks. |
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"We got approval to sell the first aircraft this morning," Colonel William Crosby, CH-47 program manager, told the Association of the United States Army Aviation symposium in Washington on 6 January. |
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The unique financing strategy - called the Cargo Helicopter Airframe Procurement Support (CHAPS) program - is intended to serve both a potential foreign market for a cheaper alternative to acquiring new-build CH-47Fs and the Army's desire to buy new airframes. |
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The CHAPS framework became possible after the Army changed its acquisition strategy for the Chinook program early last year. The service's original plan called for the remanufacture of older Chinooks to the F-model standard. However, the Army accepted a Boeing proposal to provide new build CH-47Fs at a significantly lower cost than a remanufactured aircraft. |
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The shift reopened the Chinook production line in Boeing's Philadelphia plant, but also created a surplus of older CH-47s now in service that would have to be retired. Instead, the Army will try to use CHAPS to dispose of as many of these airframes as possible to foreign customers. |
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M240H Weapon in Production |
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August 2004: The US Army Project Manager Soldier Weapons located at Picatinny Arsenal has initiated full-rate production of the M240H machine gun for UH-60 Black Hawk and CH-47 Chinook helicopters. Picatinny engineers worked with Fabrique Nationale Manufacturing, Inc. to incorporate aircraft-related changes in the 7.62 mm M240 now used on many ground vehicles. The airborne gun has a new flash suppressor to work with Night Vision Goggles and an improved mount for greater accuracy. An egress kit converts the spade-trigger helicopter weapon to a butt-stock infantry configuration in 60 seconds. Delivery plans call for 3,900 M240Hs through 2007 to replace the veteran M60 machine gun aboard active Army, National Guard, and Reserve aircraft. "We're doing the entire fleet," says Lt. Col. Kevin Stoddard, program manger for crew-served weapons at Picatinny Arsenal. "The '60s will be gone." The Black Hawk typically carries two guns and the Chinook three. |
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The new helicopter gun has fired 41,000 mean rounds between stoppages and 83,000 mean rounds between failures -- 15 times more reliable than its predecessor. "The M60 is a fairly old system," explains Tom Walsh, product director for M240 machine gun. "In terms of reliability, it's night and day." The US Navy and Marine Corps have integrated the M240G machine gun with helicopters in separate efforts. |
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Work on the M240H started with an Army aviation requirement in 2002, and static firings at Picatinny in New Jersey were followed by flight trials at the Army Aviation Technical Test Center at Fort Rucker, Alabama. Full technical and user testing ran from March to May 2004 and brought positive reviews for the NVG flash suppressor from helicopter crews. "It definitely reduced bloom-out significantly," says Mr. Walsh. "It's a lot easier for them to stay on target ." Helicopter testing also led to the improve mount to reduce the dispersion of rounds fired from a vibrating platform. Follow-on work is underway on an hydraulic buffer to reduce vibration loads on the air vehicle. |
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Like its infantry and ground-vehicle versions, the M240H will fire up to 650 or 950 rounds a minute and has a maximum effective range greater than a mile. An aiming laser for airborne applications was tested but has yet to be approved for service by the Black Hawk product manager at the Army Aviation and Missile Command. |
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17 August 2004: US President George W. Bush walks past a Boeing MH-47G Chinook helicopter during his tour of the Boeing Plant in Ridley Park, Pennsylvania while stumping for reelection. |
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June 2004: Tim Bridgewater, a conservative Republican candidate fighting for the chance to challenge Democratic Utah Representative Jim Matheson in the November election said the troubled Chinook helicopter program should be scrapped.
Editors note: I must have missed it, what trouble are we in? |
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Honeywell to Provide 600 New
T55 Engines for Chinook Helicopters |
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24 February 2004: Honeywell announced today that it has been selected by the United States Army to provide 600 Honeywell T55-GA-714A engines for the Chinook helicopter. |
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The agreement also includes fielding installation kits. Delivery of the new engines and kits begins in late 2004 and concludes in 2008. |
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"Our T55-GA-714A engines deliver more power, greater reliability and improved fuel economy over older Chinook engines," said Nasos Karras, Vice President, Military & Helicopter Propulsion, Honeywell Engines, Systems & Services. "Our engine upgrades give the Chinook 22% more power, allowing the helicopter to lift more weight, especially in a high and hot environment while reducing fuel consumption by about 7%." |
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Some of the major engine improvements include a full authority digital electronic control (FADEC), corrosion resistant materials for improved reliability during operation in corrosive environments and thermal barrier coated combustion components for greater fuel efficiency. Other engine improvements include longer life compressor discs, improved turbine blades, stainless steel compressor case, aluminum inlet housing and starter gear box, aluminum accessory gear box, and enhanced engine cooling. |
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The U.S. Army is operating 461 Chinooks in its helicopter inventory around the world. |
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Since it was first introduced on the U.S. Army CH-47 Chinook in 1961, the T55 gas turbine engine has provided service to a wide range of Chinook operators worldwide. The engine has been offered in several improved versions to incorporate ever-advancing technology, with the core used in the development of engines for a range of commercial and military applications. The -714A engine is now in service with the U.S. Army, Greek Army Aviation, Taiwanese Air Force, Singapore Air Force and the Royal Netherlands Air Force, and will soon be fielded by the British Royal Air Force. |
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Honeywell International is a $23 billion diversified technology and manufacturing leader, serving customers worldwide with aerospace products and services; control technologies for buildings, homes and industry; automotive products; turbochargers; specialty chemicals; fibers; and electronic and advanced materials. Based in Morris Township, New Jersey, Honeywell’s shares are traded on the New York, London, Chicago and Pacific Stock Exchanges. |
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CAE wins simulator deal for U.S. elite forces |
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TAMPA FLA., Monday, 16 February 2004 - The U.S. Army's "Night Stalkers" unit is going to train on helicopter simulators provided by the U.S. subsidiary of CAE Inc. |
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The Army has awarded CAE USA a $57 million contract to provide a new combat mission simulator for Chinook helicopters. The U.S. subsidiary of the Toronto company will also begin work on a simulator for Black Hawk helicopters. |
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The Black Hawk deal, to be signed later this year, is expected to be worth $56 million. |
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"Our special operations forces are often the first ones called to action, so we need sophisticated and realistic mission rehearsal and training systems," Major Mike Newell, who works for the Army's Special Operations Forces Training Systems, said in a statement. |
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Deliveries of the Chinook system are set for early 2006 and the Black Hawk simulators will be ready later that year. |
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The Night Stalkers are formally known as the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (SOAR) – Airborne. They are home based at Fort Campbell, Kentucky and operate the MH-47D and MH-47E model Chinook, as well as the MH-60 Blackhawk helicopters. The unit motto is "Night Stalkers Don't Quit" (NSDQ). |
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"The U.S. special operations forces are the tip of the spear in the war on terrorism," said John Lenyo, president and general manager of CAE USA. |
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CAE shares were up 26 cents to $6.47 in afternoon trading Monday. |
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October 2003: It was reported that the United Arab Emirates (UAE) purchased 12 of the CH-47C Chinook helicopters from the country of Libya. These helicopters were originally manufactured by Elicotteri Meridionali (also known as Augusta) in Italy. When sold to Libya the airframes had Lycoming L-11 engines and metal rotor blades. Nine airframes were sent back to Augusta for upgrade and overhaul. Once delivered to the UAE, the airframes will sport Lycoming T-55-L-712 engines and fiberglass rotor blades. 3 of the former Libyan airframes were dispatched straight to the UAE to begin the training of aircrews and will probably be upgraded at a later date. |
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Chinooks Support the Presidents |
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PUTIN AND BUSH MEET AT CAMP DAVID, 26 September 2003 - Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President George Bush met at Camp David on Friday evening (it was Saturday morning in Moscow), says Russian presidential press secretary Alexei Gromov. The two presidents discussed the development of bilateral cooperation in word and in deed, as well as some acute international problems which they will address in greater detail on 27 September. Putin, Bush and their delegations also had an informal meeting. |
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The Russian delegation arrived in Camp David in two stages. First, two Chinook helicopters (unit and tail numbers unknown) landed at the Camp David heliport, with a Sikorski VH-3D helicopter carrying Vladimir Putin touching down several minutes later. George Bush welcomed the Russian president. Both leaders were in suits but without ties and went to the residence in an unusual caravan of 15 golf carts. The presidents went to the house where Vladimir Putin will be lodged. |
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The welcoming party also included National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice and White House Chief of Staff Andrew Card, as well as the guard of honour consisting of 20 Marines and Navy sailors. The Russian president is accompanied by Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov, Security Council Secretary Vladimir Rushailo, and deputy chief of the Kremlin staff Sergei Prikhodko. |
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The Camp David meeting of Putin and Bush is their ninth meeting together and they hope that it will boost bilateral relations, which is especially important on the eve of the election year in the two countries. |
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A Chinook Tragedy Remembered |
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Manheim, Germany - 11 September 2003: Dozens gathered Thursday at the Neuostheim airport to remember another September 11th tragedy. Click-N-Go Here to read more. |
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April 2003: Coming and going in the "War on Terrorism", CH-47D Chinooks stack up at the port in Ash Shu'aybah, Kuwait. |
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4 April 2003: A U.S. Army CH-47D Chinook (tail number unknown) makes a cameo appearance in a movie released by Paramount Studios entitled "The Core". |
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Trivia: Did you know that all U.S. Department of Defense aircraft, including the Chinook, receive their tail number assignments from the U.S. Air Force? |
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Armed police guard American UH-60L Blackhawk and Chinook helicopters at the Farnborough airshow 22 July 2002. Boeing, the world's leading aircraft manufacturer warned on Monday that the aviation industry, still reeling after the 11 September 2001 attacks, was suffering its worst fall of all time. |
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President George W. Bush visits Fort Bragg. |
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Fort Bragg, North Carolina, 15 March 2002: President George W. Bush is joined by Lieutenant General (LTG) Doug Brown, commander of the United States Army Special Operations Command (USASOC) and Captain Peter Benchoff, 2nd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment, atop a building at Fort Bragg's Military Operations in Urban Terrain (MOUT) site during a Special Operations Capabilities Demonstration. |
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As part of the demonstration, two MH-47E Chinook helicopters from the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne) landed to unload U.S. Army Rangers riding motorcycles and driving Ranger Special Operations Vehicles. The rangers were joined by other USASOC Soldiers in clearing a mock village. Place your mouse over the picture above to see more. |
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Valentines Day - Flares fall from the sky near three United States Army CH-47D Chinook helicopters at an air base near the southern Afghan city of Kandahar on 14 February 2002. A huge fire was burning near the helicopters and shooting and explosions were heard along the base perimeter, a witness said. |
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