The Boeing CH-47 Chinook has been Britain’s heavy-lift helicopter since the early 1980s, capable of carrying over ten tonnes of cargo or 55 troops. Its tandem rotors provide exceptional lift and stability, making it vital in operations from the Falklands to Afghanistan. Yet Britain once had its own twin-rotor design, the Bristol Belvedere. First flown in 1958, it entered RAF service in 1961 with capacity for 18 troops and a payload of around 3 tonnes. But it was plagued by reliability issues, vi