Boeing Chinook HC.1 helicopter ZA717 NAHR – Awaiting Classification
Thanks to incredible teamwork after its rapid purchase in February 2018, ZA717’s departure from RAF Cranwell helped highlight the museum as the country’s first volunteer managed collection to display a Royal Air Force Chinook. ZA717’s arrival was witnessed by school pupils visiting the museum as part of the Aviation Heritage Lincolnshire education visit programme. This felt rather appropriate, as its intended long-term future use is for it to become a learning space. By Jan McGeachie
How many of those young people knew that the term Chinook derived from the name the Native American Chinookaan traders, who lived along the in the Pacific Northwest (Washington/Oregon) gave to the warm, dry winter wind that blew along the Columbia River?
Encouraging to read too, in a recent edition of RAF News, that Boeing Defence UK have been granted a multi-million-pound contract keeping the current 54 RAF Chinook transport helicopters fleet airborne into the 2040s. With 700 highly skilled jobs on offer, surely this is also something for today’s pupils, interested in an aviation career, to aim for?
ZA717 arrival eight years ago was particularly poignant for the museum’s then grounds keeper Nigel Bean. Whilst serving with the RAF Police in the Falkland Islands he had witnessed the non-fatal incident on 25th July 1989 that had resulted in ZA717 being written-off; this was shortly after take-off at RAF Mount Pleasant.
Many remember how seven years earlier, 25th May 1982, an Argentine Exocet missile hit the Atlantic Conveyor ship, sinking the vessel. This resulted in the destruction of several of the Chinook HC.1 helicopters it was carrying. The only survivor, ZA718 was coded BN "Bravo November", and BN became famous by nearly crashing into the sea during a snowstorm whilst attempting to deliver cargo. Thanks to the skills of its pilot Squadron Leader Dick Langworthy, who managed to regain control of BN and land the helicopter safely at San Carlos.
The first fifteen Chinooks were originally ordered in March 1967, only for the order to be cancelled. The procurement was eventually revived and 30 Chinook HC.1, helicopters were ordered in 1978; these entered service in December 1980. In August 1990, hundreds worldwide were grounded due to cracks in one British helicopter’s landing gear being discovered during a routine inspection.
Since the early 1980s the tandem rotor Chinooks were mainly based at RAF Odiham and RAF Benson. The type has been deployed for heavy-lift support transport in the Falklands; the Gulf Wars; Northern Ireland; Balkans and Afghanistan conflicts. Chinooks were also used in May 2000 to evacuate both British and European citizens from Freetown due the Sierra Leone civil war. Later in July 2006, three Chinook were deployed from RAF Akrotiri to evacuate British citizens from Lebanon.
Powered by Honeywell T55 GA 712 turbo shaft engines, Chinooks have a crew of 3 - 4 (pilot, co-pilot plus two weapon systems operatives / loadmasters). They are capable of carrying up to 55 soldiers; or 10 tonnes of equipment. Its length is 98 ft 9 inches; height 18 ft 8 inches; has a gross weight of 26,680 lb; a maximum speed of 183 mph; and a service ceiling of 18,500 ft.
ZA717 arrived in February 2018 as a badly damaged fuselage with many of its parts missing. This, gave the museum’s volunteers the challenge of refurbishing ZA717 to display condition; something we ourselves as visitors have watched with interest during our many visits to the museum. Some volunteers have said that with original parts almost impossible to find, the museum has had to use their creative talents to fabricate missing sections by hand.
Perhaps the most challenging area that has been rebuilt was the badly damaged nose section. Doing a good job with such work is very important, as the eventual aim is to use the helicopter as a learning space for visiting groups of school children, Scouts/ Cubs, and Air Training Corps (ATC) cadets.
Photo credit: Jan McGeachie