 
The Boeing CH-47 "Chinook" is a twin-turbine, tandem-rotor transport helicopter approximately 100 feet long from rotor tip to rotor tip. It has a maximum payload of about 25,000 pounds and can accommodate over three-dozen troops. Since its development in the late 1950s, it has undergone several updates and is expected to remain in use well into the 21st century.
First Flight: 1975
Max Speed: 176 mph (level flight)
Rotor Diameter: 48 ft
Overall Length: 58 ft
Max Range: about 400 miles (w/o external fuel tanks)
Basic Armament: 30 mm cannon; 16 Hellfire missiles or 76 70 mm rockets or a combination of both
Gross Weight: 15,000 lbs
Crew: 2
Near the end of the Vietnam War, the US Army was in need of a new attack helicopter to replace the
AH-1G HueyCobra. McDonnell Douglas (now part of Boeing) produced a prototype - the YAH-64 - in
1975 and was awarded the development contract in 1976. Production of the AH-64A Apache
began in 1983. Over 900 AH-64A Apaches were delivered to both the US and international
customers by 1997 before production switched over to the updated AH-64D and the Apache Longbow.
Sophisticated weapons, navigation and target acquisition systems, and night vision technology
made the Apache the most advanced, combat-tested attack helicopter of the 1990's. It was
primarily designed for anti-tank operations, but was effective against other ground vehicles
and troop formations as well. The AH-64A flew its first combat missions in 1989 during the
US action in Panama. In 1991, Apache helicopters played a major role in Operation Desert
Storm, where they are credited with destroying or disabling more than 500 tanks plus
hundreds of other vehicles. With updated equipment, including the addition of the
Longbow fire control radar, the Apache will remain the most advanced attack helicopter
well into the new millennium.
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