SwRI^® awarded $6 million to "recapitalize" CH-47 helicopter fleet

For immediate release

San Antonio -- June 1, 2001 -- The U.S. Army, through the Design Engineering Support Program (DESP), has awarded Southwest Research Institute® (SwRI) and its teaming partner Teledyne Brown Engineering (TBE) a 21-month contract worth up to $6 million to recapitalize the CH-47 "Chinook" helicopter fleet.

The Chinook, a medium-lift helicopter, hauls ammunition and artillery, petroleum, troops, and other cargo for the U.S. Army. Since its fielding in 1962, numerous major systems and subsystems, such as the engines and avionics, have been modernized aboard the craft. To avoid increasing reliability problems that could ground the Chinook fleet, and to improve the airworthiness of the CH-47, the team will evaluate other systems, subsystems, and components as part of this program.

By "recapitalizing" the Chinook, SwRI and TBE will examine components and small systems that may not have had technological upgrading to date, such as transmissions, shafts, nonrotating parts, hydraulics, and auxiliary power units. Following an engineering analysis, the team will recommend changes in materials, manufacturing, or maintenance of the components and systems to improve airworthiness and extend service life.

"We will combine data on prior system failures with our knowledge of the design, construction, and maintenance of components and systems to help improve reliability of the helicopter," says Roger Bessey, manager of Structural Dynamics and Acoustics in the SwRI Mechanical and Materials Engineering Division. "Our primary focus is to increase the reliability of the Chinook fleet and reduce its downtime, which should ultimately produce a significant operating and maintenance cost savings for the Army and increase the mission availability of these aircraft."

While SwRI leads the engineering efforts, TBE is collecting and analyzing data, coordinating logistics, and overseeing other support services. The DESP, which primarily supports the Air Force Materiel Command, provides engineering and high-level technical services to meet future technology needs. The DESP is headquartered at Hill Air Force Base, Utah.

SwRI has a long history of performing component retrofit and other engineering services for the U.S. military. Other research, development, and testing services have helped a variety of industries and Department of Defense agencies to ensure the functionality, structural integrity, and environmental compatibility of aircraft mechanical systems and components subjected to service life environments.