One of the major distinguishing factors between the CH-47F model and its predecessors is that the design is engineered to improve reliability and decrease operating costs. All new airframe, avionics, and electronics modifications reduce component count and increase maintenance accessibility. Just one upgrade – a new simplified fuselage – reduces component and fastener count, and thus realizes a parallel reduction in replacement parts, and required labor.
One of the most important modifications in this sense is the Improved Vibration Control System (IVCS). This upgrade will significantly increase airframe life, along with the life of fuselage, cabin, and cockpit subsystems.
CH-47F operating costs equal 81 percent of the operating costs of the CH-47D, resulting in a possible $462,651.2 in savings per flight hour for all 542 U.S. aircraft. This could easily translate to more than $4.6 billion in savings over 10,000 flight hours.
