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NEWS | July 6, 2022

Chinook: Rotor Blade Stand Helps with Maintenance

Soldiers conduct maintenance on the forward rotor of a CH-47 Chinook helicopter.
Photo by Timothy Koster
 
Mechanics, holding up a Chinook rotor blade to perform maintenance and to adjust the pitch change (PC) links is no small feat.
 
But you can make the task of adjusting PC links simpler by making and using a rotor blade stand to hold blades in place. This also reduces the number of people needed to hold the blade up.
 
You'll need your commander's approval to make the stand. Here are the parts needed to assemble it:
  •  Angle aluminum, 2x2-in, NSN 9540-00231-9911
  •  Lumber, 2x4-in, NSN 5510-00-267-2283
  •  Machine bolt (27 ea.), NSN 5306-01-450-4885, PN AN5-7A
  •  Flat washer (54 ea.), NSN 5310-00-167-0820, PN NAS1149F0563P
  •  Self-locking nut (27 ea.), NSN 5310-00-088-0553, PN MS21044N5
  •  Felt strip, NSN 8305-00-812-2360
This drawing gives you the details to assemble the stand:
Chinook rotor blade stand schematic
Click on image above to open PDF version

Always make sure the stand legs sit on the reinforced seams of the fuselage on top of the helicopter to prevent them from tearing the airframe skin. 

Also, don’t over tighten the hardware attaching the blade support to the vertical beam. That’s because the blade support must be able to tilt to fit the angle of the rotor blade. 
 
Don’t over tighten hardware attaching blade support
Don’t over tighten hardware attaching blade support
 
To use the stand, lift the blade and place the stand under the blade towards the tip and lower it onto the stand. After you adjust the PC links, lift the blade and remove the stand, then lower the blade.  
Chinook
Chinook Helicopter
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