Boeing has flown a Block 2-standard CH-47F Chinook heavy-lift helicopter for the first time with the Advanced Chinook Rotor Blade (ACRB), the company announced on 16 January.
Boeing announced the first flight of the ACRB on 16 January (Boeing)
The flight came some 10 months after the first Block 2 helicopter made its maiden flight with standard rotor blades. No details on the ACRB test were provided by Boeing, beyond the fact that they will add 771 kg in lift-capacity to the helicopter (previously, the company had noted a 680 kg increase at 4,000 ft and 35°C in the hover – the army’s 4K/95 performance benchmark).
The ACRB is part of a wider Block 2 enhancement for the Chinook that is geared towards restoring lift-capacity that over the years has been lost with the addition of more mission equipment. Besides the new blades which feature advanced geometry and a new asymmetric aerofoil, Block 2 includes a new drive system to accommodate the higher torque levels; a single-segment fuel tank in each side sponson, compared with the three now; electrical system enhancements; and some other unspecified improvements. Block 2 will also open the door to an improved engine for the Chinook, via the Future Affordable Turbine Engine (FATE) programme.
Boeing has previously described the Block 2 enhancement to Jane’s as “a three-legged stool” that comprises the current engineering and manufacturing development (EMD) contract, equipping the MH-47G special mission Chinook, and equipping the standard CH-47F.
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