Th? CH-47 Chin??k is ?n? ?? th? m?st v??s?til? ?n? c????l? h??v? li?t h?lic??t??s in th? w??l?. With its twin ??t??s ?n? ???? l???in? ??m?, th? Chin??k c?n c???? t????s, v?hicl?s, ??till???, s???li?s, ?n? ???i?m?nt th?t ?th?? h?lic??t??s sim?l? c?nn?t. At ????n? $29 milli?n ??? ?nit, th? Chin??k ???sn’t c?m? ch???, ??t it’s w??th ?v??? ??nn? ??? milit??? ?n? civili?n ?????t??s wh? n??? ?n ?ll-?????s? w??kh??s?.

Unm?tch?? Li?tin? A?ilit? Th? k?? ??v?nt??? ?? th? Chin??k is its ??ilit? t? c???? ?xt??m?l? h??v? ???l???s. Th? m?xim?m l??? is ?v?? 21,000 ???n?s with ? slin? l???. Int??n?ll?, it c?n c???? 33-55 t????s ?? 24 litt??s ??? m??ic?l ?v?c??ti?n. Th? ???? ??m? ?n??l?s it t? l??? ?n? ?nl??? ??ickl?, m?kin? th? Chin??k i???l ??? ?ss??lt ?????ti?ns. Its li?tin? c???cit? is ?nm?tch?? ?? ?n? ?th?? h?lic??t?? t????.

I???l ??? T??ns???tin? L???? C???? N?t ?nl? c?n th? Chin??k c???? h??v? l???s, ??t it h?s ? v?l?min??s c???? ??? th?t c?n ?cc?mm???t? ??lk?, ?v??siz?? ???i?m?nt. Th? c???? ???? m??s???s 60 ???t l?n?, 5.5 ???t wi??, ?n? 6.5 ???t hi?h – ?l?nt? ?? s??c? ??? v?hicl?s, ??till??? ?i?c?s, c?nt?in??s, ?n? ??ll?tiz?? c????. Th? ??m? ?ll?ws l???in? ?? c???? th?t w?n’t ?v?n ?it insi?? ?n?th?? h?lic??t??.

B?ilt ??? A?v??s? C?n?iti?ns

With its twin-??t?? ??si?n, ??v?nc?? ?vi?nics ?n? st??ilit? ???m?nt?ti?n s?st?ms, th? Chin??k c?n ?????t? in ?ll w??th?? ?n? ?nvi??nm?nt?l c?n?iti?ns. It h?s ???v?n its w??th in th? ??s??ts ?? I??? ?n? A??h?nist?n ?s w?ll ?s th? ?itt?? c?l? ?? th? Ant??ctic. Th? ???? ??t?? ?iv?s th? Chin??k ?xt?? li?t ?n? st??ilit? t? m?n??v?? ???cis?l? in ti?ht s??c?s ?? t????l?nt c?n?iti?ns.

P??v?n R?li??ilit? In ?v?? 50 ????s ?? s??vic?, th? Chin??k h?s ?st??lish?? its?l? ?s ?n ?xt??m?l? ??li??l? ?i?c???t th?t c?n ?????t? with minim?m m?int?n?nc? in ??m?t? l?c?ti?ns. Its t??ck ??c??? in milit??? ?n? civili?n ???lic?ti?ns is s?c?n?-t?-n?n?. S?m? ?? th? ???li?st Chin??ks ???m th? 1960s ??? still in s??vic? t???? ??t?? th??s?n?s ?? ?li?ht h???s ?n? ??m?n?in? ?????ti?ns.

F?? h??v? li?tin? ?????s?s ??n?in? ???m ?ss??lt s?????t t? ?is?st?? ??li?? ?n? c???? t??ns???t, n? ?i?c???t c?n t??l? m?tch th? c????iliti?s ?? th? CH-47 Chin??k. Its ?nm?tch?? st??n?th ?n? v??s?tilit? m?k? it th? i???l ch?ic? ??? ?n? ?????t?? n???in? t? ??t h??v? j??s ??n? ??ickl? ?n? ???ici?ntl? ??? j?st $29 milli?n.