Boeing CH-147 Chinook

(RCAF Photo)Boeing Vertol CH-147F Chinook Helicopter (Serial No. 147303).

The Boeing CH-47 Chinook is twin-engined, tandem rotor, heavy lifting helicopter developed by American Vertol Rotorcraft Company and manufactured by Boeing Vertol (later known as Boeing Rotorcraft System). The CH-47 is among the heaviest lifting Western helicopters. Its name, Chinook, is from the Native American Chinook people of modern-day Washington State. A total of 233 CH-47Cs were built. Canada bought a total of eight CH-47Cs; deliveries of the type began in 1974. Receiving the Canadian designation "CH-147", these were fitted with a power hoist above the crew door; other changes included a flight engineer station in the rear cabin: operators referred to the configuration as the "Super C". The Netherlands acquired all seven of the Canadian Forces' surviving CH-147s and upgraded them to CH-47D standard.

On 18 October 1974, a CH-47C, US (Serial No. 74-22058) crashed. It had been assigned Canadian Forces (Serial No. 147001) but was never carried Canadian Forces markings. It was lost on its delivery flight to Canada following gear failure in main combining gear box, caused by undetected metal infraction in gear blank before machining. This failure led to drive shaft failure and loss of synchronization. There were five fatalities. After a lengthy litigation, it was replaced by (Serial No. 147009).

CH-147C (Serial No. 147002) was destroyed at Rankin Inlet, NWT on 17 August 1982, when it struck a light pole with its rotors while taxiing. The helicopter overturned onto airport fuel tanks and was destroyed by the subsequent fire. There were three fatalities.

In 2008, Canada purchased 6 CH-47Ds, designated CH-147D, from the U.S. Over 39 years old when supplied to Canadian Forces. Purchased second hand from US Army for $252 million, for use by Canadian Forces Joint Task Force Afghanistan Air Wing at Kandahar, Afghanistan. They had been in storage at Davis-Monthan AFB in US, arrived on 22 September 2011. CH-147D (Serial No. 147202) was destroyed by enemy action on 4 August 2010. It was burned out after a forced landing caused by small arms fire, no casualties. (Serial No. 147207) was leased from the US Army in Afghanistan in 2010, as a replacement for 147202. The remaining five were sold in 2011 after the end of Canada's mission in Afghanistan.

Boeing Vertol CH-147D Chinook (Serial No. 147201) is on display at the National Air Force Museum of Canada at CFB Trenton, Ontario.

Boeing Vertol CH-147D Chinook (Serial No. 147206) is on display as a gate guardian at 4 CDSB Petawawa, Ontario.

On 10 August 2009, Canada signed a contract for 15 extensively modified and upgraded CH-47Fs for the Canadian Forces, later delivered in 2013"“2014 with the Canadian designation CH-147F. (Serial No. 147301 was the first new built CH-147F. It carried US civil Reg. No. N256CN, reserved on 13 December 2011 for manufacturer's flight tests. It made its first flight on 24 June 2012, at Boeing-Vertol facility in Pennsylvania. Harold Skaarup web page

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