“Unleashing Power: The Army Chinook Soars with the Cutting-edge GE Aviation T408 Engine”

The U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Aviation & Missile Center has successfully conducted its inaugural flight of a Chinook helicopter powered by GE Aviation’s T408 engines. This significant achievement opens the door for enhanced capabilities in future heavy-lift missions using the Chinook.

This pioneering flight represents the end result of a five-year collaboration under a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement involving AvMC, Boeing, and GE Aviation. The primary goal was to evaluate the advantages of higher-power engines while addressing the challenges of integrating advanced propulsion systems into the Chinook aircraft.

The flight demonstration included essential hover and pedal turn tests, focused on multiple critical aircraft performance metrics supported by live telemetry. This research initiative aims to demonstrate how the inclusion of more powerful engines in the CH-47 Chinook helicopter meets future cargo helicopter capability requirements, aligning with the Army’s Future Vertical Lift modernization strategy.

Despite the challenges brought on by travel restrictions due to COVID-19 and social distancing protocols at Fort Eustis, the collaborative team—including Parker LORD Corporation—successfully completed all necessary ground tests leading up to this historic flight.

“The mission of CCDC AvMC is to spearhead innovative research, development, and engineering to deliver new capabilities for our aviation Warfighters. The T408 program exemplifies this commitment. Integrating a new engine onto a production aircraft is a monumental task, yet our collective team effectively transitioned the program from concept to flight test. This achievement is a testament to the skills that the AvMC team brings to our Soldiers, especially given that much of the final integration occurred during the COVID environment,” stated Col. Justin Highley, commander of CCDC AvMC Technology Development Directorate – Aviation Technology, Systems Integration, and Demonstration.

“Continuous innovation is a key reason why the Chinook remains the leader in heavy-lift capabilities globally,” commented Andy Builta, Boeing vice president and H-47 program manager.

“This milestone is crucial in assessing the feasibility of enhancing the capabilities of the CH-47 Chinook. We take pride in partnering with the Army and Boeing for the Chinook engine integration and testing program,” added Harry Nahatis, vice president and general manager of GE Aviation’s Rotorcraft & Turboprop Engines.

Future test flights are set to include both hover and forward flight maneuvers, conducted under various gross weight configurations. Anticipated flight tests will continue through the end of the year, culminating in a flight demonstration event for senior leaders from the Army and industry to showcase CCDC AvMC’s vehicle integration expertise.

The results of this program will ascertain the feasibility and associated risks of operating the CH-47 Chinook with a more robust turboshaft engine.