The development of the Boeing CH-47 Chinook can be traced back to the late fifties, when the United States Army began an exploratory investigation for the construction of a medium-turbine helicopter, able to operate in any weather.
Of the numerous proposals received, that of Boeing Vertol Model 114 it was judged positively and, in the middle of the 1959, five prototypes were commissioned.
Il Chinook, whose first prototype flew for the first time the 21 September 1961, entered into service with the US Army the following year and achieved a record for being employed in Vietnam as soon as the involvement of the United States in that conflict began to take more substantial.
Capable of transporting fully equipped soldiers to 40, the CH-47 proved to be very useful also for transporting supplies to the numerous bases scattered in the jungle of South Vietnam (photo), and was often used for the recovery of aircraft and downed helicopters, as well as for the evacuation of the wounded.
The original CH-47A was soon replaced in production by the more powerful CH-47B, but the definitive model was the CH-47C, which flew for the first time in October of the 1967 and entered service in the early months of the year following.
Once again it was equipped with more powerful engines and was equipped with an enhanced transmission system and additional fuel transport capacity.
Further studies, to improve the already high performance of the Chinook, brought the CH-47D, equipped with modern electrical systems, fiberglass rotor blades, modular hydraulic systems, triple load hooks, modern flight control systems, of pressure supply in a single point, of an auxiliary generator and of advanced avionics. This latest version was produced on the basis of a modernization program of the CH-47A, CH-47B and CH-47C series which started in 1979 with the realization of three YCH-47D prototypes through the transformation of the same number of the aforementioned series.
The production CH-47Ds started being assigned to the US Army in the 1983.
The Chinook versions also met with considerable international success. In Italy the Chinook, the ICH-47C version, have been assigned to the 1 ° AVES Regiment Antares of Viterbo, produced by the Italian company Southern Helicopters.
The latest version of the Chinook appears in the 2001, the CH-47F, equipped with a Honeywell T55-GA-714A turbo-shaft propeller that allows it to reach a speed of 282 km / h.
In the 2017, Boeing began developing the Block 2 version of the US Army's CH-47 Chinook fleet.
The update will affect 473 CH-47F. the upgrade includes the adoption of new rotor composite blades, a new transmission assembly, fuel tanks in continuous, non-segmented sponsons, as well as a structural strengthening for the nose and the rear part of the cell.
In 2014 the first example of the CH-47F version arrived in Italy, the Army Aviation will receive a total of 16. In addition, the CO.FS (Interforces Command for Special Forces operations) has kicked off the acquisition of 4 Boeing CH-47F helicopters in the ER variant (Extended Range) to equip the 3 ° Helicopters Regiment for Special Operations (REOS) Aldebaran Army. The version chosen for the 3 ° Regiment will be the same as the Canadian version, then equipped with standardized fuel tanks with larger side sponsons. This change will make it possible to extend the range of the helicopter considerably, without having to use a fuel kit that can be installed inside the interior, thus avoiding sacrificing precious space for the transport of material and men.
Furthermore, the request for the installation of an in-flight refueling probe was sent to Boeing. The acquisition of the Chinook ER will significantly increase the ability to project the assets of the Special Forces, especially in light of the increasing instability in the southern Mediterranean. With this new means, the Defense General Staff wants to acquire the ability to conduct special long-range operations, in hostile scenarios, even starting from the national territory.
(Click here for the video of our visit to the 3rd Helicopter Regiment for Special Operations)
(photo: US DoD / web / US Army)
