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Army unveils new modified Chinook helicopter
Army News Service ^ | May 11, 2004 | Kelly Tyler

Posted on 05/12/2004 4:01:52 PM PDT by 68skylark

RIDLEY PARK, Pa. (Army News Service, May 11, 2004) — Army special operations forces received their first MH-47G Chinook helicopter during a rollout ceremony at aircraft manufacturer Boeing’s compound in Ridley Park, May 6.

The military’s newest rotary-wing airframe, updated and better equipped than its Chinook predecessors, will be flown exclusively by the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne), headquartered at Fort Campbell, Ky.

To kick off the event, an older MH-47D model flew directly over the thousands of Boeing employees who had gathered to watch the ceremony. Landing nearby, the Chinook discharged its cargo of three special operations Soldiers and a Ground Mobility Vehicle, which rolled slowly across the flight ramp as the door to a hangar opened and the new brand-new MH-47G was rolled out.

Patrick Shanahan, vice president and general manager for Boeing Rotorcraft Systems, then handed the first set of symbolic “keys” to the modified aircraft to Chief Warrant Officer Andrew Sentiff and Staff Sgt. Michael Luna, both of the 160th SOAR.

“All of us at Boeing are extremely proud of the Chinook and its record of service with the U.S. Army, Army special operations and our allies around the world for more than four decades,” Shanahan said. “The Chinook’s unique capabilities show clearly why the Chinook is and will continue to be a central war-fighting asset for your armed forces.”

The MH-47 is more than just an airframe, Shanahan said. “The design and manufacturing of this aircraft (have) been a labor of love and a model of working together,” he said. “Teamwork has characterized our program from the start.”

Lt. Gen. Philip R. Kensinger Jr., commander of the U.S. Army Special Operations Command at Fort Bragg, N.C., also spoke to the crowd.

“Not only have we all gotten a personal introduction to our ‘work horse,’ but we have also had the opportunity to shake hands with everyone who helped make this possible,” Kensinger said.

Kensinger reminded those gathered – civilian and military – that the aircraft itself is secondary.

“As magnificent as this aircraft is, it is only as good as the people who design it, build it, fly it, and support it,” Kensinger said.

Kensinger told the gathered Boeing workers that anyone who contributed to the construction of the aircraft was also contributing to victory in the Global War on Terrorism.

“The equipment (the 160th SOAR flies) is what gets the boots on the ground to fight the Global War on Terrorism,” Kensinger said. “It is also the equipment that gets them back safely to their families.”

The event was more than just a presentation of USASOC and Boeing’s newest collaboration. It also gave the Boeing workers a chance to understand the role of the MH-series aircraft, and it allowed those workers to speak directly to Soldiers who have been affected by the capabilities of the MH-47. Workers and guests checked out both the older “D” model and the newest “G” model following the ceremony, speaking with aviation crew members as well as members of a Special Forces operational detachment.

“This is a great bunch of guys,” said John Williams, flight engineer for Boeing. “We want them to be well-protected up there,” he said. “I feel better knowing these guys have the best equipment there is.”

The MH-47G has capabilities not found on any other rotor-wing aircraft in the world. Its specialized mission equipment includes:

· Multi-mode radar that permits terrain following and terrain avoidance in all climatic conditions

· A Common Avionics Architecture System-equipped cockpit that enhances joint operability and pilot situational awareness

· Next generation forward-looking infrared, or FLIR

· M-134 Gatling “miniguns” and M-240D machine guns for increased defensive firepower

· Advanced, integrated aircraft survivability equipment

· Oversized main fuel tanks

The Army has approved the purchase of 61 MH-47G airframes. Procurement and distribution will continue through fiscal 2011.


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Foreign Affairs; Government
KEYWORDS: army; chinook; helicopter; miltech
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To: Riley
Not really open to civilians. I was a journalist at the time (but don't hold that against me) and they were showing off their new toy. It was awesome. Every "window" was a video screen and the fuselage was on hydraulics. They added rotor vibration and sound affects. You couldn't tell it wasn't the real thing. That's why our pilots at almost every level are so good. They can get hours and hours of life-like training without ever spending a dime on fuel, maintenance, or even the craft itself.
21 posted on 05/13/2004 1:19:03 PM PDT by Lee'sGhost (Crom!)
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To: Riley
I'll fess up to about 11 months flying Hooks, with an 8 month 2nd tour in 'Nam. I was Flipper 45 with the 196th Assault Support Helicopter Company at An Son, Lane AHP in '69

I flew mostly the A Model - 2750 shaft horse power on each engine.

Since the rotors intermesh, they counter-act and cancel torque.

Controls remain the same, cyclic, collective and pedals. In this case right pedal would affect the forward and aft rotor heads differently causing the hook to rotate around a spot to the right. No tail rotor action, just forward rotor head to the right, aft rotor head to the left.

The model I flew maxed out at 33,000 lbs. We started a 2 hour duration of flight with 8,000 lbs. of JP4. Yep, that is 2 ton of fuel consumed each hour. After about 90 minutes into that fuel load, is when we could tackle the heavier sling loads.

The hook was really loud. They told us 120 decibels in the cockpit. The army fesses up to 112 decibels today. 85 decibels or more for 30 minutes or more equals permanent hearing loss. For me, as I go up the keys on a piano, eventually, I reach the point where I only hear the keys go clunk.

I really got off on how they used the '47 in some of those earlier missions in Afganistan. As I understand it, the BlackHawk did not have the capability to perform as well at the high altitudes.

The new rebuilt MH-47s are nearly a brand-new aircraft. They can strip down the airframe at the depot level, and do so much more these days to add avionic ability, extended fuel tanks, beefed-up drive-train components, etc.

For the rotor-heads that are here and have brought a single-rotor up to a hover, the hook is different.

1st step, a couple of inches of aft cyclic, add power and bring the nose and forward gear off the ground.

2nd, steady on the horizon, pedals and cyclic and add power to bring the rear gear up. Add collective to start the vertical speed, then just nose it over into transitional lift. Like most helicopters, the 47 takes more power to hover than to fly.

With an engine out at a forward location, we occasionally would roll forward and lift off with one engine, flying at best climb speed back to the unit for repair.

Maintenance sure did appreciate it when we saved them a trip to the boondocks.

I have flown TH-55s, (Hughes 269) H-13s, (Bell 47) UH-1H (Bell Iroquis), OH-6a (LOH Cayuse) and been in Bell Rangers. Nothing compares to the Hook, although I drool when the Marines go overhead near where I live south of Quantico with the Echo and later models of the CH-53
22 posted on 05/13/2004 1:30:21 PM PDT by Dustoff45
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To: slohand
We had two hydraulic actuators on each rotor head. With those we could move the swath plate through 360 degrees.

Were you ever on a flight where the SAS was disabled. every input was way too late, so you wallowed all over the place.

The SAS cabinet, and all that was in there made the pilots day go a whole lot better.
23 posted on 05/13/2004 1:36:03 PM PDT by Dustoff45
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To: Dustoff45
Very cool. I did Helicopter Support Team stuff (slingloads) with CH-53s in the Corps for a while- I remember loping away from the load on take off and being blown about three extra feet with every step. The racket was impressive.

Thanks for the twin-rotor lowdown- that answers pretty much what I was wondering.
24 posted on 05/13/2004 1:47:16 PM PDT by Riley
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To: Dustoff45
Very interesting. Okay, I only understood a fraaction of what you wrote, but it's still interesting! And thanks for your serivce.
25 posted on 05/13/2004 2:08:06 PM PDT by 68skylark (.)
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To: Dustoff45
Once a private replaced a couple of hydraulic lines in the cabinet. As the senior avioncs mech I was called in to program the SAS boxes because the aircraft was acting weird. I could not find out what was wrong. It turned out a couple of hydraulic lines were hooked up wrong. It took about a week to find out.
26 posted on 05/13/2004 6:56:26 PM PDT by slohand
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To: Ragtime Cowgirl

Bump!


27 posted on 05/14/2004 11:46:32 PM PDT by windchime (Podesta about Bush: "He's got four years to try to undo all the stuff we've done." (TIME-1/22/01))
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To: Riley

OK, here's how it works. I'm an active duty FE (flight engineer), and I'll try and keep it simple...
We have two rotor systems that counter rotate to cancel torque from the engines. Now the way this thing is different form an R-22 is that the rotor systems operate on differential collective thrust. That is when you put in forward cyclic, the fwd and aft heads add collective pitch, with the aft head inputting more than the fwd. So with the aft head producing more lift, you get nose down. Collective works the same, with both heads producing the same lift. As with roll, both heads tilt left or right. With yaw, one goes one way, the other goes the opposite. Pretty simple really, until you look at the flight control mixing bellcranks. Whoever designed that was a friggin' genious!! The good ol' "D" model is good for a max gross of 50000lbs, and the new 714A engines sport close to 5000 shp per side. She was (read still is...) the work horse in afghanistan. Nothing else is going to hover at 12-14000 ft, to put boots on the ground. And this MH-47G beast? Let me tell you...The Echo model is good, but I can't wait to get my Golf!!


28 posted on 06/02/2004 6:53:11 PM PDT by flymh47
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To: 68skylark

I've jumped from a few. Greatest thrill jumping. You just walk out the tailgate and
F
A
L
L
!


29 posted on 06/02/2004 6:58:07 PM PDT by airborne (lead by example)
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To: airborne
That does sound like fun. I hope I might have a chance to try that some day. So far my (very limited) jumping has just been from Airborne school -- some C-130's and a C-141 (plus a C-123 I was happy to get out of).
30 posted on 06/02/2004 8:16:58 PM PDT by 68skylark (.)
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To: flymh47

I don't understand half of what you've written, but it's interesting anyway. Where else but FR could I get so much good information on so many different topics?

By the way, I'm asked a few people who haven't been able to tell me what the "M" stands for when used to describe a military aircraft, like this MH-47G. My only hunch is that the "M" seems to apply to aircraft often used for special operations work.


31 posted on 06/02/2004 8:20:00 PM PDT by 68skylark (.)
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To: 68skylark

sorry, i tried to keep it simple...MH=Multi-mission Helicopter...


32 posted on 06/03/2004 3:25:07 AM PDT by flymh47
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To: Dustoff45
I write maintenance training programs for a contractor for the US military. I wrote programs for 4 systems in the CH-47F, which only produced 3 birds, as they were intended for the USA regular forces. All the rest were converted to this 'G' model and it's everything the Special Ops aviators have dreamed of.

We have a retired Army SOF Chinook pilot in our group, his stories don't reveal a lot in terms of details, but they make your hair stand on end.

33 posted on 06/03/2004 3:40:48 AM PDT by Chieftain (To all who serve and support those who serve - thank you!)
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To: flymh47
sorry, i tried to keep it simple

No, there's no problem with your writing -- I just didn't understand a lot of your post because I'm not an aviation guy.

Thanks for the info about the "M" designation -- I don't know why, but it was bugging me to not know what it stood for. Take care & best regards.

34 posted on 06/03/2004 8:08:53 AM PDT by 68skylark (.)
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