Nichols Martin
Boeing has made progress in its program to develop the CH-47 Block II Chinook helicopters with recent flight testing, National Defense Magazine reported Thursday.
The first of the aircraft underwent flight tests totaling over 10 hours in duration last month, said Andy Builta, vice president of cargo and utility helicopters at Boeing, who manages the H-47 program. Boeing pursues the program in support of the U.S. Army.
Randy Rotte, director of global sales and marketing for cargo utility and future vertical lift at Boeing, said the tests started with low-gross weights and incrementally used heavier ones.
The second Block II Chinook unit joins the first in the program’s engineering and manufacturing development phase that will continue over the next nine months.
“We’re increasing the pace of flight tests as we add in the second aircraft,†Builta told reporters.
Tests with the first unit have so far rendered Boeing's expected results.
