Boeing CH-47 Chinook Boeing CH-47 Chinook The Boeing CH-47 Chinook is an American twin-engined, tandem rotor, heavy-lift helicopter developed by American rotorcraft company Vertol and manufactured by Boeing Vertol (later known as Boeing Rotorcraft Systems). The CH-47 is among the heaviest lifting Western helicopters. Its name, Chinook, is from the Native American Chinook people of modern-day Washington state. The Chinook was originally designed by Vertol, which had begun work in 1957 on a new tandem-rotor helicopter, designated as the Vertol Model 107 or V-107. Around the same time, the United States Department of the Army announced its intention to replace the piston engine-powered
450 Tactical Helicopter Squadron (Uplands) in May 1970 and the squadron received Royal Assent for the designation 450 Transport Helicopter Squadron on May 20, 1970. On August 1, 1991, the squadron was re-designated 450 Composite Helicopter Squadron. This was followed by another name change on April 1, 1993, when the squadron became 450 Tactical Helicopter Squadron. In August the following year, 450 Tactical Helicopter Squadron was transferred back to 1 Wing at St. Hubert. 450 Squadron was deactivated in 1996 before being officially disbanded on January 1, 1998. On May 2, 2012, the squadron was re-established to operate the CH-147F Chinook helicopters of the