Honeywell has signed an agreement with the U.S. Army to demonstrate an upgraded version of its T55 engine on the CH-47 Chinook helicopter. According to the company, the new 6,000-horsepower T55-GA-714C is 25 percent more powerful and consumes 10 percent less fuel than the current T55, as well as being able to use the same intake, exhaust and engine airframe mounts. For the demonstration, the upgraded T55 will be installed on a CH-47F at Fort Eustis in Newport News, Virginia.
“Honeywell has spent years designing and developing the T55-GA-714C engine as part of our commitment to push the T55’s power beyond the needs of the Chinook helicopter,” said Honeywell Aerospace Engines and Power Systems President Dave Marinick. “For 60 years, we’ve powered the world’s most premier heavy-lift helicopter, and this latest improvement increases performance while saving important program dollars and maintenance hours as well as increasing mission readiness.”
Honeywell delivered its first T55 to the U.S. Army in 1961. The company has produced more than 6,000 T55 engines, which have logged approximately 12 million hours on CH-47 and MH-47 helicopters. The engine family is currently in use on over 900 CH-47s around the world.
