The Navy’s Aircraft Maintenance and Flight Trials Unit (AMAFTU) has commenced deck handling trials with the Army’s new CH-47F Chinook heavy lift helicopters on board the LHD amphibious assault ship HMAS Canberra.
Two Foxtrot Chinooks, A15-304 and -307, from C Squadron, 5 Aviation Regiment landed on board the Canberra for the first time while it was alongside at Garden Island, Sydney on May 17.
This content is available exclusively to Australian Aviation members.
To unlock all Australian Aviation magazine content and again unlimited access to our daily news and features, become a member today!
A monthly membership is only $5.99 or save with our annual plans.
PRINT
See benefits
- Australian Aviation quarterly print & digital magazines
- Access to In Focus reports every month on our website
MOST POPULAR
PRINT + DIGITAL
See benefits
- Unlimited access to all Australian Aviation digital content
- Access to the Australian Aviation app
- Australian Aviation quarterly print & digital magazines
- Access to In Focus reports every month on our website
- Access to our Behind the Lens photo galleries and other exclusive content
- Daily news updates via our email bulletin
DIGITAL
See benefits
- Unlimited access to all Australian Aviation digital content
- Access to the Australian Aviation app
- Australian Aviation quarterly print & digital magazines
- Access to In Focus reports every month on our website
- Access to our Behind the Lens photo galleries and other exclusive content
- Daily news updates via our email bulletin
The deck handling trials are a prelude to first of class flight trials, expected to be held later this year, and checked that flightdeck markings, securing fittings, associated ground equipment, hangar arrangements and procedures are suitable for the Foxtrots when they are embarked on the LHDs.
The trials also assessed the removal of the Chinook’s six giant blades and lowering the helicopter below to the hangar deck via the LHD’s rear aircraft lift.
The Army’s CH-47F fleets surpassed the 1,000 flying hour mark last month, less than 12 months after the type entered service.
All images Department of Defence
iscover
BH
says:It would be interesting to see the rotor assembly and removal process while underway on a windy, rolling and pitching deck…
Scott M
says:DO they not come with a blade folding mechanism? and if not is it an option?
TSV
says:Is there an option for folding blade heads on the CH-47? If so looks like it would be a welcome modification!
Steve
says:No, there is no blade folding system available on these as seen on other types..There was a method available for use on the older C-models, which basically consisted of disconnecting the Lead-Lag Dampers on two blades of each head, then swinging them all around to gather them in a support bracket assembly attached to the roof of the aircraft. But this also involved de-phasing (decoupling) the drive train at the combining transmission, a feature no available on newer mosel Chinooks. The only alternate to this would be to remove one of the forward rotor drive sync shafts to allow the blades to be brought together. Also, the blades on the later Chinooks are a wider chord than on the old C’s, so they may not be able to be gathered on the roof (too big). This is a task that really isn’t needed often as these aren’t permanent ship-base aircraft like dedicated helicopters such as the CH46 Sea Knight which did have a proper blade folding system.
Guy
says:It appears that the older chinooks didn’t have a blade self-folding capability, but the blades could be de-linked at the lead/lag damper and swung into an “administratively stowed” position resting on specially constructed blade stands over the central fuselage (see http://www.chinook-helico…lades/Folded_Blades.html). This site (http://www.ingeniumtech.com/services/design/details/?id=4) suggests that newer Boeing CH-47 Chinook helicopters are equipped with automatic blade folding and that older versions can be retrofitted.
ray Godfrey
says:very interested to see how they operate in rough seas.
They reckon that Chinooks cannot get ground resonance maybe so but I was sitting on a runway in Dong Tam SV when the chinook in front of me started dancing on four wheels before chopping off an engine and slicing open the centre of the cabin.
Say no more!!