The Boeing CH-47 Chinook is an American twin-engined, tandem rotor, heavy-lift helicopter developed by American rotorcraft company Vertol and manufactured by Boeing Vertol. The CH-47 is among the heaviest lifting Western helicopters, its name, Chinook, is from the Native American Chinook people of modern-day Washington state. The Chinook was designed by Vertol, which had begun work in 1957 on a new tandem-rotor helicopter, designated as the Vertol Model 107 or V-107. Around the same time, the United States Department of the Army announced its intention to replace the piston engine-powered Sikorsky CH-37 Mojave with a new, gas turbine-powered helicopter. During June 1958, the U. S. Army ordered a small number of V-107s from Vertol under the YHC-1A designation. While the YHC-1A would be improved and adopted by the U. S. Marine Corps as the CH-46 Sea Knight, the Army sought a heavier transport helicopter, ordered an enlarged derivative of the V-107 with the Vertol designation Model 114. Designated as the YCH-1B, on 21 September 1961, the preproduction rotorcraft performed its maiden flight.

In 1962, the HC-1B was redesignated CH-47A under the 1962 United States Tri-Service aircraft designation system. The Chinook possesses several means of loading various cargoes, including multiple doors across the fuselage, a wide loading ramp located at the rear of the fuselage and a total of three external ventral cargo hooks to carry underslung loads. Capable of a top speed of 170 knots, upon its introduction to service in 1962, the helicopter was faster than contemporary 1960s utility helicopters and attack helicopters, is still one of the fastest helicopters in the US inventory. Improved and more powerful versions of the Chinook have been developed since its introduction, it remains one of the few aircraft to be developed during the early 1960s – along with the fixed-wing Lockheed C-130 Hercules cargo aircraft – that had remained in both production and frontline service for over 50 years. The military version of the helicopter has been exported to nations across the world. S. Army and the Royal Air Force have been its two largest users.

The civilian version of the Chinook is the Boeing Vertol 234. It has been used by civil operators not only for passenger and cargo transport, but for aerial firefighting and to support logging and oil extraction industries. During late 1956, the United States Department of the Army announced its intention to replace the Sikorsky CH-37 Mojave, powered by piston engines, with a new, gas turbine-powered helicopter. Turbine engines were a key design feature of the smaller UH-1 "Huey" utility helicopter. Following a design competition, in September 1958, a joint Army–Air Force source selection board recommended that the Army procure the Vertol-built medium transport helicopter. However, funding for full-scale development was not available, the Army vacillated on its design requirements; some officials in Army Aviation thought that the new helicopter should be operated as a light tactical transport aimed at taking over the missions of the old piston-engined Piasecki H-21 and Sikorsky H-34 helicopters, be capable of carrying about 15 troops.

Another faction in Army Aviation thought that the new helicopter should be much larger, enabling it to airlift large artillery pieces and possess enough internal space to carry the new MGM-31 "Pershing" missile system. During 1957, Vertol commenced work upon a new tandem-rotor helicopter, designated as the Vertol Model 107 or V-107. During June 1958, the U. S. Army awarded a contract to Vertol for the acquisition of a small number of the rotorcraft, giving it the YHC-1A designation; as ordered, the YHC-1A possessed the capacity to carry a maximum of 20 troops. Three underwent testing by the Army for deriving engineering and operational data. However, the YHC-1A was considered by many figures within the Army users to be too heavy for the assault role, while too light for the more general transport role. Accordingly, a decision was made to procure a heavier transport helicopter, at the same time, upgrade the UH-1 "Huey" to serve as the needed tactical troop transport; the YHC-1A would be improved and adopted by the Marines as the CH-46 Sea Knight in 1962.

As a result, the Army issued a new order to Vertol for an enlarged derivative of the V-107, known by internal company designation as the Model 114, which it gave the designation of HC-1B. On 21 September 1961, the preproduction Boeing Vertol YCH-1B made its initial hovering flight. During 1962, the HC-1B was redesignated the CH-47A under the 1962 United States Tri-Service aircraft designation system; the CH-47 is powered by two Lycoming T55 turboshaft engines, mounted on each side of the helicopter's rear pylon and connected to the rotors by drive shafts. Initial models were fitted with engines rated at 2,200 horsepower each; the counter-rotating rotors eliminate the need for an antitorque vertical rotor, allowing all power to be used for lift and thrust. The ability to adjust lift in either rotor makes it less sensitive to changes in the center of gravity, important for the cargo lifting and dropping. While

Wirehead is an interactive movie developed by the Code Monkeys for the Sega CD, published by Sega and MGM Interactive in 1995. Wirehead was one of the last games released for the Sega CD, one of the platform's most ambitious full-motion video productions. An enhanced version of the game was planned for the Sega 32X. Ned Hubbard is a mild-mannered family man who just happens to have a wireless device implanted into his brain; when strange men attempt to kidnap Ned from his home, he flees for his life. The player guides Ned by manipulating his brain–computer interface; every few seconds, the player must react to an audiovisual prompt, guide Ned in one of three or four possible directions. In most cases, one option advances the game, the others lead to Ned's downfall. Although Ned's evasive manoeuvres are invariably non-violent, a few circumstances instigate "combat mode", in which the player has two attack options: punch or kick. Wirehead at DefunctGames. Retrieved 7 January 2014

George Damon Levy is a motorsports author and historian and former editor of the enthusiast magazine Autoweek, current President of the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America. He has contributed to various automotive publications and websites, including Autoweek, RACER, Car and Driver and Vintage Motorsport, he is best known for his 2016 book Can-am 50th Anniversary: Flat Out with North America’s Greatest Race Series, which earned a Gold Medal in the 2017 International Automotive Media Competition. He is a frequent collaborator with his longtime friend, the late, award-winning motorsports photographer Pete Biro, their second book, F1 Mavericks: The Men and Machines that Revolutionized Formula 1 Racing, was published in July, 2019. More books together are in development. George Levy was raised in Brookline, Massachusetts, he became a racing fan after reading Carroll Shelby and John Bentley's The Cobra Story, Robert Daley's Cars At Speed and the Jim Clark autobiography, Jim Clark At The Wheel, ghostwritten by Clark's longtime friend Graham Gauld.

Another book that would prove pivotal to his career was Peter Manso's VROOOM!! Conversations with the Grand Prix Champions, he learned to drive in a 1964½ Ford Mustang. He was one of the East Coast's earliest sport compact enthusiasts with a lowered and flared Datsun 510, he owned the Brock Racing Enterprises “Screaming Yellow Zonker” 510. Levy moved to Detroit in 1980 before moving to the Daytona Beach, Florida area in 2019 to assume his duties at the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America. Levy began his career in journalism at Autoweek in 1980, he was promoted to editor at 27, prompting popular columnist and friend Satch Carlson to refer to him as the “Boy Editor.” Levy broke a number of major stories during his editorship, including Ford's plan to replace the Ford Mustang with a front-wheel-drive V6-powered car built by Japanese partner Mazda. The story was picked up by other publications, including The New York Times; the resulting furor helped persuade Ford to continue the classic V8, rear-drive Mustang and rename the Mazda-based model only months from production, Probe.“Autoweek published an April cover story titled ‘The New Mustang’ which laid out the blasphemy in full,” Road & Track wrote in 2013.

“Fans pelted Ford with hundreds of thousands of letters against the proposed change to a car that had become an American icon.”Levy is still active in motorsports journalism. In recent years, Levy has begun writing books as well, all of which have been collaborations with motorsports photographer Pete Biro. Levy's current and future works focus on ‘60s and ‘70s motorsports. In 2016, Levy and Biro published their first collaboration, Can-am 50th Anniversary: Flat Out with North America’s Greatest Race Series; the book documents the 1966-1974 North American Canadian American Challenge Cup Series, renowned for its no-holds-barred ruleset. One of the foremost motorsports photographers of the era, Biro was able to supply photos from races he shot across the series’ nine seasons. Levy wrote the text, based on his own research plus interviews with over 75 of the original participants, from “gofers” to superstars. Motorsports icons interviewed for Can-Am 50th Anniversary include Jim Hall, Jackie Stewart, Mario Andretti, Dan Gurney, Stirling Moss, John Surtees and Parnelli Jones.

Of Can-Am 50th Anniversary, original series competitor and racing journalist and broadcaster Sam Posey wrote, “Your book is just fantastic. As far as I know, you've got the facts right, which must have been the product of a lot of hard work and good thinking.” Car and Driver cited it as one of the “Sixteen Books Every Auto Enthusiast Should Read,” declaring it “The best account we have of the fierce, open-spec Can-Am series.” In 2017, Can-am 50th Anniversary was awarded a Gold Medal in the International Automotive Media Competition. Levy and Biro's second book, F1 Mavericks: The Men and Machines that Revolutionized Formula 1 Racing, was released in July, 2019, it features a foreword by an afterword by the late Niki Lauda. On July 21, 2019 it became the #1 New Release in Automotive Pictorial Books on Amazon. Levy is working on an authorized biography of Chaparral founder Jim Hall. Levy began serving on the board of directors of the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America in 2012 and was chosen by Founding President Ron Watson to be his successor starting in 2020.

Due to Watson's untimely passing in late 2019, Levy assumed the position early. As President of the Hall of Fame, Levy oversees the induction process, which adds new members every March at a black-tie banquet, manages its multidiscipline museum on the grounds of Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida; the museum attracts more than 100,000 visitors each year. Levy is based in Florida, he has two children and Zachary. Over the years he has competed in go-karts, showroom stock endurance races and the SCCA Pro Rally Championship. Can-am 50th Anniversary: Flat Out with North America’s Greatest Race Series. George Levy and Pete Biro, 2016. F1 Mavericks: The Men and Machines that Revolutionized Formula 1 Racing. George Levy and Pete Biro, 2019. 2017 Gold Medal in the International Automotive Media Competition