Honeywell Aerospace has signed a contract with the U.S. Army for the repair and overhaul of T55-GA-714A engines installed on its CH-47 Chinook helicopters. The indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity (IDIQ) contract, which aims to “ensure that the U.S. Army’s Chinook fleet has spare engines to sustain its future missions and overall readiness,” covers the next five years. Engine work will be completed at Honeywell’s new T55 Repair and Overhaul Center, which opened last July near the company’s headquarters in Phoenix, Arizona.
“Honeywell remains committed to supporting the T55 engine and the CH-47F Chinook program with improved maintenance practices, expanded repair capacities and engine modernization improvements that will meet the helicopter’s needs for years to come,” said Honeywell Aerospace Engines & Power Systems President Dave Marinick. “Honeywell’s unparalleled T55 repair and overhaul facility was designed to provide the highest level of support for the U.S. Army’s needs today and in future missions.”
Honeywell has produced more than 6,000 T55 engines since the model’s introduction in 1955. According to the company, the engine type has logged more than 12 million hours on CH-47 and MH-47 helicopters. As previously reported by AVweb, Honeywell also signed an agreement with the Army in June to demonstrate an upgraded version of its T55 engine for the Chinook.
After 65 years, they (Lycoming/Honeywell) should know the engine pretty well by now!