Aerobatic Chinook?

[Salamander]

Found this question to UK Parliament (Defence Sec):

US Army Chinook



Mr. Key: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will place in the Library reports he has received from the United States authorities relating to the US Army Chinook CH-47 barrel roll incident in 1998. [101400]

Mr. Spellar: No.
The information that we received from the US Army Authorities about the incident was provided in confidence. I am therefore withholding it under Exemption 1c (information received in confidence from foreign governments) of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information.
:clappp

[cbergen]

If my sources are correct, that incident was an UNCOMMANDED roll.

They were able to regain control and land, however the airframe was severely damaged.....

[good2win22]

Word on the street is that airframe was subsuquently destroyed while being used as a test bed.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vTRuWgoEFxo&NR=1

I know most have seen this video as shot from the rear. Here is a side shot of the same test. Can't prove it, but it's been said that during this test there were multiple 50 cal rounds being shot into the rotor system and that this airframe was the one that had the uncommanded AFCS inputs that caused the infamous barrel roll.

[47pilot]

I've also heard what you said about the testing. I've read the report of what happened and it was an uncommanded AFCS input which caused the aircraft to roll. No matter what the pilots did to the flight controls, the aircraft continued the roll subsequently losing altitude. Luckily, the aircraft recovered from the roll about 200ft AGL (if I remember correctly) and of course was immediately landed. This happened after the aircraft was picked up at CCAD.

As far as the ballistic testing, I've heard the same story. Really provided an excellent example of ground resonance. The chains were put on too right and the shock dampeners could not absorb the vibrations and the aircraft basically tore itself apart.

I landed the other day all 4 wheels down at the same time the other day not as smoothly as I would have liked and noticed a little vibration for a split second. Gotta watch these things!!