Sea Knight & Chinook Helicopters

These are the classic twin-rotor helicopters made for years by Boeing Vertrol and now Columbia Helicopters is in the process of beginning production of this series of helicopters. These are very large complex helicopters, phenomenally expensive to own and operate and as one unidentified military pilot said about a CH-47, “If it’s not leaking gallons of hydraulic fluid in the back, then there’s something wrong with it.”

In the bush these helicopters are used almost exclusively for commercial logging and heavy construction.

The picture above shows two different models of the Boeing Vertrol helicopters; the civilian equivalent of the Sea Knight in the foreground and the civilian equivalent of the Chinook in the background.

On the military front, the following video clip is a very cool display of a Navy SEAL boat making a quick exit via Chinook. Now it should be pointed out that there has been some "e-bitching" about whether this video features a Chinook or a SeaKnight. Quite frankly, the video is from the inside of the bird so its hard to tell. But, here are some pointers from an Army flight engineer:

How to tell this is in fact a CH-47 is:

1. The ramp -- a CH-47 has 4 very distinct tie down mt points.

2. The ramp access panels on the forward end are removed to allow water flow. (these panels access the rear door chain that operates the outer part of the door.)

3. The roof panel access is divided into 3 parts to the aft transmission.

4 The area forward of the aft transmission (gray roof panels) you can see the driveshaft housing the #8-#9 driveshaft to the Aft transmission.

5. Looking at the crew chief on the left the box next to his left hand is the step box outside the aircraft to go on top of the fuselage. Anyone that has flown on this aircraft can also tell that the sound is a CH-47. The blade pitch is heavier that a "smaller" CH-46.

The Chinook in the next video does some impressive fancy flyin'.

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