ST. LOUIS, Oct. 11 (UPI) -- Boeing said Wednesday it had handed over a new CH-47D training helicopter to the U.S. Army National Guard.
"The Boeing Company has shipped a new CH-47D Chinook helicopter maintenance trainer to the U.S. Army National Guard that will provide a hands-on tool for soldiers, technicians and other flight personnel," the company said in a statement.
"The trainer, modified from a retired U.S. Army CH-47D, will be ready for use by the end of October at the Eastern Army National Guard Aviation Training Site -- EAATS -- at Fort Indiantown Gap, Pa.," the company said.
"The Chinook Helicopter Maintenance Trainer -- CHMT -- brings a more complete training capability to our customer," said Tony Jones, vice president of Training Systems and Services, a division of IDS Support Systems.
"By adding modern technologies and design techniques to our existing capabilities, Boeing was able to provide a low-risk training solution that brings more capability to the war fighter," Jones said.
Boeing described the CHMT as "a full-sized, high-fidelity replica of a CH-47D Chinook helicopter designed to reduce the need to train maintenance tasks on an operational helicopter."
The helicopter "includes drive- and power trains, flight controls, hydraulic and electrical power systems and an instructor operator station. The operator station allows maintenance personnel to simulate 'faults' or 'malfunctions,' which will enhance diagnostics and problem-solving skills while improving maintenance effectiveness," the company said.
