CH-47 Chinook

              A CH-47 lifts an F-15 

The 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 utility and attack helicopters of the 1960s. The CH-47 is among the heaviest lifting Western helicopters. Its name is from theNative 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 front-line service, with over 1,179 built to date. The helicopter has been sold to 16 nations with the U.S. Army and the Royal Air Force.

General characteristics:

• Crew: 3 (pilot, copilot, flight engineer)
• Capacity:
  • 33–55 troops or
  • 24 litters and 3 attendants or
  • 28,000 lb (12,700 kg) cargo
• Length: 98 ft 10 in (30.1 m)
• Rotor diameter: 60 ft 0 in (18.3 m)
• Height: 18 ft 11 in (5.7 m)
• Disc area: 5,600 ft² (520 m²)
• Empty weight: 23,400 lb (10,185 kg)
• Loaded weight: 26,680 lb (12,100 kg)
• Max. takeoff weight: 50,000 lb (22,680 kg)
• Powerplant: 2 × Lycoming T55-GA-714A turboshaft, 4,733 hp (3,631 kW) each

Performance

• Maximum speed: 170 knots (196 mph, 315 km/h)
• Cruise speed: 130 kt (149 mph, 240 km/h)
• Range: 400 nmi (450 mi, 741 km)
• Combat radius: 200 nmi (370.4 km)
• Ferry range: 1,216 nmi(1,400 mi, 2,252 km^[100])
• Service ceiling: 18,500 ft (5,640 m)
• Rate of climb: 1,522 ft/min (7.73 m/s)
• Disc loading: 9.5 lb/ft² (47 kg/m²)
• Power/mass: 0.28 hp/lb (460 W/kg)