Posted on 08/31/2022 3:11:29 PM PDT by dynachrome
The U.S. Army has grounded its entire fleet of CH-47 Chinook helicopters because of a risk of engine fires, U.S. officials said.
Army officials are aware of a small number of engine fires with the helicopters, and the incidents didn’t result in any injuries or deaths, the U.S. officials said. One of the officials said the fires occurred in recent days.
The U.S. Army Materiel Command grounded the fleet of hundreds of helicopters “out of an abundance of caution,” but officials were looking at more than 70 aircraft that contained a part that is suspected to be connected to the problem, officials said.
The grounding of the Chinook helicopters, a battlefield workhorse since the 1960s, could pose logistical challenges for American soldiers, depending on how long the order lasts.
(Excerpt) Read more at wsj.com ...
I wonder where the part in question came from. OE?
Spent quite a few hours in “big windys” (or “s***t hooks”) in 95-96 as a flight surgeon in Korea. Surprisingly, they were the fastest chopper in the Army inventory at the time. Don’t know if that’s still the case
Must be a maintenance issue. Too many woke training sessions and not enough work.
Any chopper that has been near sand is suspect (imho)
Of course, with Trump in charge, these problems and many others might never have materialized in the first place.
Fastest helo in the Army inventory. 196 MPH
https://www.19fortyfive.com/2022/07/chinook-helicopter-big-and-fast/
“A Honeywell spokesman said the engine maker worked with the Army to determine that certain components known as O-rings didn’t meet the company’s design specifications. He said the parts were installed during routine maintenance at an Army facility”
O-rings.......NASA can tell you how critical they are.
This all falls with wiping out our military supplies and response ability.
If anything thats what Ukraine is all about. So we don’t have an arsenal of various weapons to defend ourselves anymore.
Yes, but the Sikorsky SB-1, or whatever they call it now, in development, has hit 235.
Nope, bad “O” rings. A fairly common practice overall to ground the fleet until inspection, repair as necessary.
Final check and fit is on the Tech. O-rings don’t go on dry and should fit snug.
Darn engines aren’t woke enough.
O-Rings and fasteners can really bite you in the ass.
Sikorsky claims the SB-1 Defiant is designed to go 460 kph or 285 mph. That is moving for a prop plane, let alone a helo.
Golly gee, those Chinook “workhorses and staples of the fleet” are practically NEW!
Thank goodness we’re not like those backward Orc Russians, relying on old obsolete stuff!
Those Chinooks are state of the art!
Are they Electric helicopters. 😂
This seeming story is bunk - there is something going on under the covers.
With the fall of Baghdad, this is the worst time to ground anything. Same for F-35’s over ejection seats a mere few weeks ago.
bidAn is being maneuvered into the 2022 version of Afghanistan and Kabul. Total seeming incompetency, grounding stuff that would have been extremely useful to evacuate some territory.
With emphasis on ‘seeming’.
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