Global Demand Puts Aircranes, Commercial Chinooks Back Into Production

commercial Chinook helicopter

Rotak Helicopter Services will be the first customer for Columbia’s Model 234SP program converting former U.S. Army CH-47Ds to the Commercial Chinook configuration.

Credit: Tony Osborne/AW&ST
U.S.-made commercial heavy-lift helicopters are back in vogue and being built again to meet a global need for more aircraft for firefighting and aerial work. Erickson Inc. is producing the first new-build S-64 Aircrane since the 1960s, while Columbia Helicopters is assembling the first new Model 234...
Tony Osborne

Based in London, Tony covers European defense programs. Prior to joining Aviation Week in November 2012, Tony was at Shephard Media Group where he was deputy editor for Rotorhub and Defence Helicopter magazines.

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