Marines Push Quietly, But Hard, For Navy to Replace C-2s With V-22s

AOL Defense ^ | 3/7/2012 | Richard Whittle

[U-238]

Landing a V-22 Osprey helicopter-style on the sprawling flight deck of the nuclear aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush was a snap, says Marine Corps test pilot Capt. Dan McKinney.

With Lt. Col. David Weinstein, McKinney did it a dozen times on March 20 – six landings in daylight, six at night. After their first two touchdowns, sailors perched in the carrier's superstructure to watch the helicopter-airplane hybrid Osprey's first-ever carrier qualification landings, conducted off the coast of North Carolina, started giving the pilots "a lot of thumbs-up."

Marine leaders hope the Osprey's "carrier quals," scheduled to continue in May and June, will help the Osprey get a thumbs-up as well from the admirals who run the Navy when they pick a replacement aircraft for their aging C-2A Greyhounds, the twin-engine turboprops that haul cargo, mail and passengers between carriers and the shore -- a mission called COD for "carrier on-board delivery." The first prototypes flew in 1964.

[A.A. Cunningham]

Just don’t try bringing that plane into a hot LZ.

Don't tell that to the Osprey aircrews who already have.

[Fractal Trader]

Another issue for the V-22 is the heat from the exhaust when the propellers are rotated upwards. Apparently, this has caused difficulties when landing or taking off, causing near melting conditions on the deck superstructure.

You don’t hear about this problem these days. Maybe they have found a way to deal with it.

[blueunicorn6]

When they put jets on this thing, it’s gonna be a game changer.

[TexasRedeye]

Just landing on the deck of a CV/CVN doesn’t constitute executing Sea Trials.

OK. What we did in the '90s were called "Proof of concept". We just trying to sell the darn thing!

[A.A. Cunningham]

Apparently, this has caused difficulties when landing or taking off, causing near melting conditions on the deck superstructure.

Sounds like you're channeling Carlton Meyer and his cabal of buffoons at that hack blog he runs.

The deck heating issue was solved long ago

[Josh Painter]

V-22 Unit Cost ~ $70 Million
C-2A Unit cost ~ $39 million

[hattend]

I always thought a ship was a ship and a boat was a sub.

Oh well.

[SampleMan]

“The Boat” is a term of endearment for a CV by Naval Aviators.

[SampleMan]

“The Boat” is a term of endearment for a CV by Naval Aviators.

[Rannug]

I would have thought that the .51’s and rpg’s would have made mince meat out of it. Really glad it can survive that environment.