Chinook takes first flight with T408 engine

By Jaspreet Gill / September 28, 2020 at 12:40 PM

The Army last week achieved its first flight of a CH-47 Chinook helicopter with GE Aviation's T408 engines and plans to conduct additional flight tests through the end of the year.

The flight demonstration took place at Ft. Eustis, VA, and consisted of "hover and pedal turn testing to assess multiple critical aircraft parameters supported by live telemetry," according to a Sept. 22 Army press release.

The flight is part of the Army's research efforts to show how integrating more powerful engines on Chinook helicopters can support the service's future vertical lift modernization priority and future helicopter capability needs.

"The first flight is the culmination of a five-year effort under a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement between [Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Aviation and Missile Center], Boeing and GE Aviation to evaluate the feasibility and benefits of higher-power engines while assessing and reducing the technical risks of integrating advanced engines in a Chinook aircraft," the press release states.

Future test flights will include both hover and forward flight maneuvers and showcase the CCDC AvMC's vehicle integration capability to Army and industry senior leaders.

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