The tandem-rotor workhorse of modern battlefields. Its twin-rotor layout eliminates the need for a tail rotor, giving it exceptional lift capacity, and more than six decades after its first flight it remains in full production for the US Army and dozens of allied air forces. Developed by Boeing (originally Vertol).
The tandem-rotor workhorse of modern battlefields. Developed by Boeing (originally Vertol).
Photo: Cpl Lee Goddard, source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Royal_Air_Force_Chinook_helicopter_firing_flares_over_Afghanistan_MOD_45158742.jpg, Crown Copyright (OGL v3.0)See Specifications for full detail.
The Boeing CH-47 Chinook is a twin-engine, tandem-rotor heavy-lift helicopter built for the US Army and allied forces. It first flew in 1961 and remains in production at Boeing's Philadelphia plant more than sixty years later, one of the longest continuous helicopter production runs in history.[1]
Its counter-rotating rotors need no tail rotor, so nearly all engine power goes to lift, letting the Chinook carry troops, artillery and vehicles to mountain landing zones other helicopters cannot reach. Around 20 nations fly it, and the current CH-47F Block II keeps it in production toward its own centenary.[2]
The Chinook descends from one engineer's obsession: Frank Piasecki, who championed tandem-rotor helicopters in the 1940s when almost everyone else followed Sikorsky's single-rotor path. His 'flying banana' transports proved the layout; his company - renamed Vertol, then bought by Boeing in 1960 - refined it into the turbine-powered machine the Army needed.[1]
That need was specific: the new doctrine of air assault demanded a helicopter that could move a whole infantry platoon or sling a howitzer, at speed, in mountain heat. The YCH-1B first flew on 21 September 1961, and as the CH-47A it reached Vietnam within four years of that first flight.[1]
Counter-rotating tandem rotors cancel each other's torque, so the Chinook wastes no power on a tail rotor - every horsepower lifts. The layout also shrugs at centre-of-gravity shifts that would upset a conventional helicopter, which is precisely what you want when Humvees drive up the ramp or loads swing from three external hooks.[2]
Two Honeywell T55 engines drive both rotors through a combining transmission - lose one engine and both rotors keep turning. With around 100 mph-plus cruise the Chinook has always been faster than the sleek attack helicopters it works with, and the triple-hook system lets crews carry awkward loads stably at speed.[2]
The rear ramp works in flight, on water (the airframe can sit afloat while boats drive aboard) and against cliffsides: the 'pinnacle landing' - rear wheels on a ridge, nose in the hover, troops running off the ramp - is the type's signature party trick in the mountains.[1]
Vietnam made the case emphatically: Chinooks placed artillery on mountaintop firebases, kept them fed with ammunition, and recovered over 12,000 downed aircraft worth more than the entire Chinook fleet cost - the aircraft literally paid for itself in salvage.[1]
Everywhere after followed the same pattern. The Falklands' sole surviving RAF Chinook, 'Bravo November', flew impossible loads for weeks after its sisters went down with the Atlantic Conveyor - and served four more decades. In Afghanistan the Chinook was king: at altitudes where Black Hawks wheezed, only the CH-47 could carry a full squad to 10,000-foot landing zones, making it the workhorse - and, at Roberts Ridge and in the 2011 Extortion 17 shootdown, the martyr - of the mountain war.[3]
Some 20 nations fly it, from Japan and South Korea to Britain, the Netherlands and Egypt, on every mission from special operations (the stealthy-modified MH-47s of the 160th SOAR) to firefighting with 3,000-gallon buckets and Himalayan rescue above 15,000 feet.[2]
The Chinook has been rebuilt twice without changing its soul. The 1980s CH-47D remanufactured worn A/B/C airframes with new engines, transmissions and systems; the 2000s CH-47F did it again with a machined airframe, glass cockpit and digital flight controls that transformed brownout and shipboard handling.[1]
The current Block II adds strengthened rotors, a redesigned fuel system and drivetrain headroom, raising gross weight to 54,000 lb. Its path has been bumpy - the Army wavered on full procurement before continuing orders (24 Block IIs under contract by April 2026, with the last Block I delivered that same month) - but with special-operations MH-47Gs leading and allies queueing, Philadelphia's line looks set to carry the Chinook past its own centenary in 2061.[4][5]
Sixty-five years after first flight, no successor is even proposed: the U.S. Army's future-vertical-lift efforts replaced its scouts and assault helicopters on paper, but the heavy-lift answer remains a newer Chinook. Like the B-52 and C-130, the CH-47 has entered the small club of aircraft whose replacement is themselves.[1]
Its record includes fire camps in Australia, flood relief in Pakistan and earthquake response in Nepal - the twin-rotor thump has meant 'help is here' on every continent.[2]
Chinooks fly low and are often outside reliable ADS-B ground-station coverage, so they can be intermittent on Flightradar24. Look for the type filter "CH47" and watch near major Army aviation hubs (e.g. Fort Campbell, KY) or during announced training corridors.
| Performance | |
| Max Speed | 170 kn (196 mph / 315 km/h) |
|---|---|
| Cruise SpeedCruise Speed — The economical speed an aircraft sustains for the bulk of a flight - lower than maximum speed, chosen for the best balance of time and fuel burn. Glossary → | 184 mph |
| RangeRange — How far an aircraft can fly without refuelling. Quoted figures vary with payload, speed and reserves - see also ferry range and combat radius. Glossary → | 460 mi internal fuel; 1,399 mi ferry range |
| Service CeilingService Ceiling — The highest altitude at which an aircraft can still climb at a useful rate (typically 100 ft/min). Above it, the air is too thin to keep climbing meaningfully. Glossary → | 20,000 ft |
| Rate of Climb | 1,522 ft/min (7.73 m/s) |
| Airframe & Weight | |
| Main Rotor Diameter | 60 ft each (x2, tandem, counter-rotating, no tail rotor) |
| Length | 51 ft 2 in fuselage; 98 ft 11 in overall, rotors turning |
| Height | 18 ft 8 in |
| WeightMTOW — Maximum Take-Off Weight - the heaviest an aircraft is certified to be at the start of its take-off run, including fuel, crew, payload and the aircraft itself. Glossary → | empty: 24,578 lb; max gross weight: 50,000 lb standard, 54,000 lb alternate/structural |
| Disc Loading | 9.5 lb/ft² (46 kg/m²) |
| Power & Payload | |
| Engines | 2 x Honeywell/Lycoming T55-GA-714A turboshafts, 4,733 shp (3,529 kW) each |
| ArmamentArmament — The weapons an aircraft can carry: guns, missiles, bombs and rockets, whether mounted internally, on wing hardpoints, or in bomb bays. Glossary → | Optional door-mounted M240 / M134 machine guns; primarily unarmed transport |
| Crew | 3 (2 pilots + flight engineer/crew chief) |
| CapacityPayload — Everything an aircraft is carrying that isn't the aircraft or its fuel: passengers, cargo, or weapons. Payload and fuel usually trade off against each other. Glossary → | Up to 55 troops, or 24 litters and 3 medical attendants, or up to 24,000 lb internal cargo payload |
| External Load | 26,000 lb maximum external load via the triple-hook cargo system (e.g. a 40 ft) |
| Program & Service | |
| Manufacturer | Boeing (originally Vertol) |
| Origin | United States |
| First Flight | September 21st 1961 |
| Service Entry | August 16th 1962 |
| Number Built | 1,279 |
| Unit Cost | ~$38.55M (CH-47F, flyaway) |
4 notable events involving the CH-47 Chinook, 1986 to 2011, accounting for 128 deaths. Curated rather than exhaustive.
A civil Boeing Vertol 234LR returning oil workers from the Brent field suffered a forward transmission failure on approach to Sumburgh; the tandem rotors collided and the aircraft fell into the sea. 45 of the 47 people aboard died, and the oil industry withdrew Chinooks from North Sea passenger work for good.
1986 British International Helicopters Chinook crash - Wikipedia
An RAF Chinook carrying senior UK intelligence and security personnel crashed into the Mull of Kintyre headland in Scotland in poor weather, killing all 29 aboard. The cause remains disputed, with a 2011 independent review overturning earlier findings of pilot negligence and citing unreliable navigation software.
A CH-47 carrying a quick-reaction force of special operations aviators and Navy SEALs was hit by an RPG in Kunar province, Afghanistan while attempting to reinforce an ambushed reconnaissance team, killing all 16 aboard.
A CH-47D was shot down by Taliban RPG fire in Wardak province, Afghanistan, killing all 38 aboard, including members of Naval Special Warfare — the single deadliest incident for US special operations forces in the Afghanistan war.
| CH-47A/B/C | Early production models used extensively through the Vietnam War. |
| CH-47D | Major 1980s rebuild with uprated engines, composite rotor blades, and modern avionics. |
| CH-47F | Current-production US Army standard with digital cockpit and airframe improvements to reduce vibration. |
| MH-47G | Special-operations variant flown by the 160th SOAR with aerial refuelling and terrain-following radar. |
| CH-47J / Model 234 | Japan Ground Self-Defense Force military variant and Boeing's commercial heavy-lift version, respectively. |
Source: The Aviationist
Source: Defense News
Source: Royal Air Force
Source: The War Zone
Numbered as cited in the Overview article. Click a reference to see where it's used.
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