US Army concludes trial of Chinook fitted with King Stallion engines
13 May 2021
by Gareth Jennings
The US Army, Boeing, and General Electric (GE) have concluded trials of an NCH-47D Chinook heavy-lift helicopter fitted with the more powerful GE T408 engines of the Sikorsky CH-53K King Stallion, it was announced on 12 May.
The standard Honeywell T55 engine that currently powers the Chinook puts out 5,000 shp for a combined 10,000 shp per helicopter. With the GE T408 fitted, the Chinook generates a combined 15,000 shp. (US Army CCDC AvMC)
As noted by Boeing, the US Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Aviation and Missile Center (CCDC AvMC) and its industry partners conducted 18 ground tests and an undisclosed number of flight tests from late 2019 into early 2021.