Boeing CH-47 Chinook

 

Role	Transport helicopter
National origin	United States
Manufacturer	Boeing Rotorcraft Systems
First flight	21 September 1961
Introduction	1962
Status	In service
Primary users	United States Army Japan Ground Self-Defense Force Royal Netherlands Air Force See CH-47 operators for others
Produced	1962–present
Number built	Over 1,200 as of 2012[1]
Unit cost	US$38.55 million (CH-47F, FY13)[2]
Developed from	Vertol Model 107
Variants	Boeing Chinook (UK variants)

he Boeing CH-47 Chinook is an American twin-engine, tandem rotor heavy-lift helicopter. Its primary roles are troop movement, artillery placement and battlefield resupply. It has a wide loading ramp at the rear of the fuselage and three external-cargo hooks. With a top speed of 170 knots (196 mph, 315 km/h) the helicopter is faster than contemporary 1960s utility and attack helicopters. The CH-47 is among the heaviest lifting Western helicopters. Its name is from the Native American Chinook people.

The Chinook was designed and initially produced by Boeing Vertol in the early 1960s; it is now produced by Boeing Rotorcraft Systems. It is one of the few aircraft of that era – along with the fixed-wing Lockheed C-130 Hercules cargo aircraft – that remain in production and frontline service, with over 1,200 built to date. The helicopter has been sold to 16 nations with the U.S. Army and the Royal Air Force (see Boeing Chinook (UK variants)) being its largest users.
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