Boeing Vertol CH-47 Chinook
The Boeing CH-47 Chinook has been in continuous production longer than almost any other helicopter in the world, its distinctive tandem-rotor layout letting it carry exceptionally heavy loads, including artillery pieces and vehicles slung beneath its fuselage, without needing a separate tail rotor. Its twin overlapping rotors give it excellent stability at high altitude and heavy weight, capabilities that have made it the helicopter of choice for high-mountain operations in Afghanistan's thin air. Dozens of air forces around the world operate it for heavy-lift transport, and continuous modernisation has kept a design dating to the early 1960s genuinely relevant on today's battlefields. It remains, decades after its debut, one of the most recognisable helicopter silhouettes in military aviation.
Did you know?
The CH-47 Chinook's tandem-rotor layout needs no tail rotor, letting it lift artillery and vehicles slung beneath its fuselage since the early 1960s.
Specifications
| Length | 15.9 m (52 ft) |
|---|---|
| Height | 5.7 m (19 ft) |
| Rotor diameter | 18.3 m (60 ft) |
| Maximum passengers | 55 |
| Persons on board | 35-61 |
| Maximum take-off weight | 24.4 t |
| Range | 400 NM (741 km) |
| Service ceiling | 20,000 ft (6,096 m) |
| Optimum ceiling | 11,000 ft (3,353 m) |
| Rate of climb | 1,180 ft/min (6 m/s) |
| Fuel capacity | 3,900 l |
| Engines | 2x Honeywell/Lycoming T55 |
| Units built | 1,200 |
Curated by CatchFlights from manufacturer documents, ICAO Doc 8643 and reference works; values are left out where no source could confirm them. Sources are listed on our credits page.
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