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Aircraft · Air

CH-47 Chinook

Tandem-rotor heavy-lift helicopter for cargo and troop transport.

by Boeing

FieldedAircraftAirMilestoneMay 1961
boeing.com/defense/military-rotorcraft/h-47-chinook
A U.S. Army CH-47 Chinook carrying a vehicle on a sling during an exercise

Photo: U.S. Army photo by Elena Baladelli · Public domain (PD-USGov-Military-Army) · Resized and reencoded as WebP; no additional crop.

Milestones1961
  1. First flightYCH-1B Chinook prototype first flight, confirmed
  2. MilestoneFirst YHC-1B prototype rolled out, confirmed
  3. MilestoneEarliest documented public appearance: published Chinook rollout photograph, confirmed

Timeline3

  1. First flightConfirmed

    YCH-1B Chinook prototype first flight

    SourcesAfter 60 years, Chinook keeps getting better

  2. MilestoneConfirmed

    First YHC-1B prototype rolled out

    Build B001, serial 59-04982, rolled out. This aircraft subsequently served as a ground-test article and never flew. The source establishes hardware rollout, not the earliest public announcement of the named product.

    SourcesCargo Helicopters Project Manager’s Office / Nick Van Valkenburgh

  3. MilestoneConfirmed

    Earliest documented public appearance: published Chinook rollout photograph

    Earliest supported public appearance found in the sources reviewed for this research; not a claim of the first-ever announcement or original unveiling. Earlier evidence may revise this date. The May 1961 Army Aviation issue publishes a named YHC-1B photograph and Boeing Vertol material. The underlying April 28 rollout remains a separate event; its public-access status is not inferred.

    SourcesArmy Aviation Association of America / Boeing Vertol

Solid entries are confirmed, outlined reported, dashed estimated or still to come; dotted italic entries are speculative. Dates show only the precision the sources give.

Built with1

Operators1

  • USUnited States

Sources6

  1. 1.
    OtherThe World’s Most Iconic Helicopter | CH-47 Chinook

    Sam Eckholm · Nov 26, 2021 · Supports: System · name

    “CH-47”
  2. 2.
    Government recordChinook – The Legacy of Tandem Rotor Helicopters

    Cargo Helicopters Project Manager’s Office / Nick Van Valkenburgh · Nov 11, 2012 · Supports: System milestone

    “Build 001 (B001), the first YHC-1B [59-04982] was rolled out on 28 April 1961”
  3. 3.
    CompanyT55 Turboshaft Engine | Honeywell Aerospace

    Supports: System · system component:honeywell-t55

    “Boeing CH-47 Chinook”
  4. 4.
    NewsArmy Aviation, May 1961: Chinook rollout photograph

    Army Aviation Association of America / Boeing Vertol · Supports: System milestone

    “THE FIRST OF 28 YHC-1B ARMY CHINOOK HELICOPTERS IS SHOWN”
  5. 5.
    CompanyAfter 60 years, Chinook keeps getting better

    Supports: System milestone

    “Chinook’s prototype, the YCH-1B, takes its first flight in 1961.”
  6. 6.
    CompanyH-47 Chinook

    Supports: System, System · operator countries

    “The H-47 Chinook is the heavy-lift helicopter of choice for the U.S. Army”

Each fact on this page is attached to the sources that support it. Archived copies are linked when we keep one.