CH-47D Chinook US Army, Unidentified Unit, Afghanistan, 2003

Product description

The Boeing CH-47 Chinook™ is a twin-engine, tandem rotor heavy-lift helicopter. With a top speed of 170 knots (196 mph, 315 km/h). The Chinook was designed and initially produced in the early 1960s. The helicopter is now produced by Boeing Rotorcraft Systems. Chinooks have been sold to 16 nations with the US Army and the Royal Air Force being the largest users. The CH-47 is the heaviest lifting among Western helicopters.

The name "Chinook" alludes to the Chinook people of the Pacific Northwest. The CH-47 is powered by two turbo shaft engines, mounted on each side of the helicopter's rear end and connected to the rotors by drive shafts. The counter-rotating rotors eliminate the need for an anti-torque vertical rotor, allowing all power to be used for lift and thrust. The ability to adjust lift in either rotor makes it less sensitive to changes in the center of gravity, important for the cargo lifting role. If one engine fails, the other can drive both rotors. The "sizing" of the Chinook was directly related to the growth of the Huey and the Army's tacticians' insistence that initial air assaults be built around the squad. The Chinooks of several nations have participated in the Afghanistan War, including aircraft from Britain, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, Canada, and Australia. Despite the age of Chinook, it is still in heavy demand, in part due its proven versatility and ability to operate in demanding environments such as Afghanistan.