The Pentagon first started to dream up the CH-47 Chinook in the 1950s. That’s practically prehistoric time — but the dual-rotor bird still has some completely insane powers by today’s standards.
Not only is the Chinook an old beast, it’s a gigantic fat one — about the weight of two elephants. But as you can see from this video, shot at this summer’s RIAT 2012 air show in the UK, the CH-47 can spin and dance with the nimbleness of a craft a quarter its size. I just wouldn’t want to have to try these maneuvers under fire. [FlightGlobal]