From The Archives: 20 Years Ago In Aviation Week - Choppy Situation

In this issue, our man in Washington, Robert Wall reported on how Boeing and the UK Defense Ministry were eyeing a "fix" to the British Chinook "quagmire". 

Eight Chinook helicopters had been relegated to storage because they had not met UK government safety certification standards. Kevin Tebbit, the permanent undersecretary of state for defense told a parliamentary committee: "We have spent £252 million ($468 million) and we have not got the capability we need, and, therefore this is an unsatisfactory situation."

Wall said that Boeing had devised a plan to bring the Chinooks into compliance, but "company officials are not discussing the exact strategy". 

Read more on the Chinook Mk.3 saga on page 53. 

Read the Nov. 22, 2004 Aviation Week & Space Technology issue.

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