
Boeing [BA] has loaded the second of three Ch-47F Block II aircraft into final assembly, and soon will have all three experimental performance-enhanced Chinooks being built up to achieve first flight next year.Both the first two aircraft entered assembly ahead of schedule and Boeing has been able to modestly speed up building the prototypes that will test the upgrades the Army eventually could retrofit onto 500 legacy Chinooks, Randy Rotte, director of cargo helicopters and future vertical lift at Boeing,…