Actually, I guess I should have updated this. The following day a friend of mine who works over at Rockwell-Collins (he's their Director of Flight Operations) invited me to take a tour of the aircraft. I was able to have a thorough look at everything and talked to the crew. The aircraft was about two months out of the factory, but is indeed a CH-47F. Assigned to a Pennsylvania unit eventually, but Boeing representative were taking it places such as Collins for what-ever politicking they do :
Here are my photos: http://www.airport-data.com/aircraft/08-08753.html
hmm. what I dont get is if it was only 2 weeks out of the factory, why does it have an 08 serial? when I was deployed this past year, we had 09s on our pads at times as the newest year serials with 10th CAB, just before the Fox models were sent to germany for their transition there. all Fox models are re-serialed if they were previously D models and rebuilt, as about half are. so it wouldnt be an older serial. if it truly just came off the line, it would most likely be an 09, or possibly a 10 serial. i dont think any 11s are out. remember the first 2 of the serial for army/af aircraft signifies the FISCAL year in which they were ORDERED, not calendar year in which they came off the line, as some believe. even so, 08 is too old to be a new off the line bird. may have just came out of RESET, which would entail the addition of a few IR mods and such.
also interesting to hear it is going to a NG unit. I was under the impression that all of our Fox models were going to BIG army units first, and there are a few that havent gotten them yet, such as Korea, Kansas, and a few others, and i was under the impression no NG units were getting them until the big army units did.