Helicopter manufacturer Helicopter manufacturer Helicopter manufacturers belong to the broader category of aerospace manufacturers. It is useful to think of helicopter manufacturers as falling into two categories, those that can design, certify and manufacture new helicopter designs from scratch and those that can only manufacture extant designs under license. Boeing Vertol is an example of the first type and Kawasaki Heavy Industries, who license-produced Boeing Vertol designs for much of its recent history, is an example of the second type. The peace dividend at the end of the Cold War and the increased cost of developing new helicopters has seen a consolidation
1994 Scotland RAF Chinook crash data greatly reduced the amount and quality of data available to subsequent investigations. Information on speed and height were derived from the position of cockpit dials in the wreckage, and the wreckage's condition. During 1994, the RAF had begun to fit these recording devices across the Chinook HC.2 fleet prior to the accident; this process was completed in 2002. The aircraft had not been classified as being airworthy. It was mandated upon the RAF that it was "not to be relied upon in any way". The documentary series "Seconds From Disaster" featured the accident in the episode "Chinook Helicopter Crash".