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Army

Chinook Block II Makes First Flight, But Without New Rotor Blades

By Brian Garrett-Glaser

Thursday, March 28th, 2019

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Chinook Block II Makes First Flight, But Without New Rotor Blades

The first CH-47 Block II makes its maiden flight March 28 at Boeing's plant outside Philadelphia. (Boeing photo)

Without the added lift of the new advanced composite rotor blades it eventually will sport, the first CH-47 Chinook Block II test aircraft achieved first flight March 28 at Boeing’s [BA] manufacturing plant outside Philadelphia. The aircraft is one of three engineering and manufacturing development (EMD) Chinooks that will prove out the capability improvements included in the Block II upgrade package. The other two airframes are on Boeing's final assembly line in various stages of completion, according to a company…

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