Image source: topwar.ru
The US Army is completing the procedure for replacing a leaky part in the engines of the CH-47 Chinook helicopter. The Pentagon said it had "almost solved" the problem that led to a number of powerplant fires in these rotary-wing aircraft, Defense News writes, citing a statement by Patrick O'Neill, maintenance officer of the aviation branch of the US Army Aviation and Missile Command.
According to the military, the army expects to repair all Chinook helicopters with the aforementioned defect by the end of February.
By the way, about the defect. The article says that the malfunction is related to the O-ring on the T55 engine for Chinook manufactured by Boeing. Last summer, it was discovered that during routine maintenance of helicopters, Army repairmen installed O-rings that did not meet specifications and were not supplied by Honeywell.
The article states that the aforementioned company provided spare parts for the maintenance of the T55 engine until February 2019. After that, the army took over the maintenance of the Chinook helicopter power plant.
As a result, sealing rings were installed, which are not defective, but simply are not intended for this unit.
According to Defense News, the Pentagon has currently signed a contract for the purchase of 200 suitable O-rings from the remnants in the Honeywell warehouse and is working with the company, as well as its sole supplier CE Conover, on the possibility of purchasing additional batches of this part.
The only problem, according to O'Neill, is that the army does not know how many engines received the "wrong" part. After all, O-rings do not have a serial number and are not tracked by side numbers. Consequently, this part will now have to be replaced on all available Chinook helicopters.
