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CF Medium-to-Heavy Lift Helicopter — Boeing CH-147D
Chinook |
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Update: 07 July 2009 – David Pugliese reports that an announcement is expected soon that
contracts for 16 CH-147Fs will soon be signed.
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CH-147D Chinook — the CF's Born-Again Medium-to-Heavy Lift
Transport Helicopter
The Canadian Forces operated 8 CH-147C Chinooks from 1974
to 1992.[1] In 2005, the then-CDS, General
Rick Hillier, made Chinooks (or similar medium-lift helicopters) his top priority for the Kandahar deployment.
The Harper govern- ment responded in July 2006 with an ACAN for 16 newly- built CH-47F Chinooks.[2]
Two and a half years later, that ACAN has yet to result in a contract with Boeing. Mean- while, DND
looked for alternatives and found the CH-47D. |
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The MND, Peter MacKay, rejected rebuilt US Army Chinooks. DND
then attempted without success to lease Chinooks
from the US. Under pressure from the terms of the Manley Report, DND arranged to buy CH-47Ds already in Afghanistan
from the US Army. Six helicopters – redesignated CH-147D – were handed over to the CF
in Dec 2008 to be operational in Feb 2009.[3]
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Boeing CH-147D
Chinook Specifications
Dimen:
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Length: 15.6m fuselage, 30.2m rotors
turning,[4] width: 3.8m, ht.(oa): 5.8 m |
Power:
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2 x Honeywell T55-712
turboshafts
2796 kW (3750 shp) maximum power |
| Speed: |
Max. 269 km/h, cruise 220 km/h
[5] |
| Perfor.: |
Range 656 km, hover ceiling: 3110 m |
Weight:
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Empty 10578 kg, max gross 24494 kg,
useful
load 13916 kg, slung forward/
aft hooks, 9072 kg, centre, 12701 kg |
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CF Chinooks will likely have a crew of five – pilot, co-pilot, flight engineer
(doubling as a gunner) plus two other gunners. The CH-147D also has an array of countermeasures –
missile warning sensors (mounted in pairs on the nose, tail, and both rotor pylons) and infrared decoy flare
dispensers (mounted on the rear fuselage, two beneath each exhaust pipe, one beneath each engine intake).
Engine exhaust signature can be reduced by fitting a CBT (Centre Body Tailpipe) and engine intakes are now covered
with EAPS dust covers to minimize damage from foreign object injestion. [7] CH-147Ds are meant to fill in until
the 'CH-147F+' arrive sometime after the Afghan commitment ends. Whether that happens or not, long-awaited CH-147Ds
will serve well.
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[1] See Bill Walker's Canadian Military Aircraft Serial Numbers
for a listing of CH-147C Chinook airframes and their individual histories.
[2] On this ' CH-147F+ ', DND has been criticized by industry for constantly shifting requirements and by
analysts for "platinum plating".
[3] The CH-147Ds will be fully operational in Feb 2009 but these helicopters are already flying out of
KAF. The Chinooks operate beside eight CH-146 Griffon utility
helicopters and six leased Russian Mil Mi-8T transport helicopters operated on behalf of Skylink
International.
[4] That is the total length of the helicopter including the discs of both rotors turning. The actual rotor
diameter for the CH-147D is 18.3 m.
[5] Such perfomance numbers are based on an International Standard Atmosphere (ISA), ie: average sea level
pressure and temperature in a temperate climate. Kandahar conditions, especially during summer, are anything but
average. Performance out of KAF will be degraded.
[6] The CH-147D is armed with US 7.62mm M240H spade-grip machineguns, a direct equivalent of the CF's C6 GPMG.
The M240H retains its bipod for emergency dismounted use. Only 4 M240Hs were included in the original FMS notice for the CH-46Ds. It may be that the US machineguns are being
supplemented by pintle-mount C6s. Optional future defensive armament for CH-147Ds include the M134 Minigun.
[7] The IR signature reducing Centre Body Tailpipe is a product of Ottawa-based WR Davis Engineering (which
supplies a similar system for the CH-146 Griffon). The EAPS dust filters, or Centrisep Engine Air
Particle Separator system, is a product of Florida-based Pall Corp.
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Photo Credits – CH-147D Chinook side view and C6 machinegun: Stephen Priestley,
centre right: CTV, others: Canadian Forces/DND.
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The six CH-147Ds form part of the Canadian Helicopter Force (Afghanistan) which, in turn, is a unit of the CF's new
Air Wing Kandahar (stood up 6 December 2008). These helicopters were transferred directly from the US Army at
Bagram AB. The CH-147D's
armament is like most US 'Hooks' – pintle mounted 7.62mm machineguns in forward port cabin
window, starboard crew door, and on the open rear ramp door (left). [6]
