OSPREY: Experimental aircraft takes off like a helicopter, flies like an airplane. (File Photo)
Posted on 11/24/2004 8:34:13 AM PST by NorthOf45
Experimental chopper loses part of blade
By Chris Lambie
November 24, 2004
OSPREY: Experimental aircraft takes off like a helicopter, flies like an airplane. (File Photo)
A cutting-edge U.S. military aircraft being tested in our skies made an emergency landing at Shearwater on Friday after losing a chunk of rotor blade. The tilt-rotor V-22 Osprey lost a 50-centimetre-long piece of rotor blade somewhere near the shoreline.
“They were flying along the water when this occurred, not over a populated area,” said Kirsti Dunn, of Boeing Co., the U.S. aviation giant that built the aircraft with Bell Helicopters.
About 20 kilometres from Shearwater, the crew noticed unusual vibrations and noises that sounded like ice shedding off the rotors.
“Any time you have something (where) there may be some impact on the blade, you want to get your aircraft down as quickly as possible,” Dunn said.
The Osprey returned to Shearwater by taking a route over the ocean, she said.
“If anything is coming off the aircraft, even big chunks of ice, you don’t want it falling and damaging anyone or anything,” Dunn said.
The first clue that something was going wrong came from cockpit indicators showing a heater failure on the left side of the aircraft, she said.
Investigating
“Sensing that there was something going on with the rotor blades, they did declare the emergency and slowed the aircraft to minimize vibrations.”
It landed safely, and the U.S. military is now investigating what caused the problem.
The Osprey — which is here to test de-icing capabilities — can normally run an electric current through the wings and its twin giant rotors to warm them and melt ice.
“They’re thinking it was ice that hit it,” Dunn said of the damaged rotor. “But where did it come from?”
The investigation may include placing more cameras on the Osprey to get a better idea of where ice forms and sheds.
The damaged section of rotor, about 10 centimetres wide, has not been found, she said.
The Osprey went into a scheduled maintenance period after the emergency landing and won’t be able fly again until Dec. 6.
“They’re replacing this blade, so the airplane will be flyable,” Dunn said.
The Osprey — which started test flights out of Shearwater earlier this month — is equipped with an 11-metre rotor on the end of each wing, allowing it to fly like a plane.
The rotors tilt 90 degrees when the Osprey wants to lift off or land vertically, like a helicopter.
Grounded in 2000
Osprey tests at Shearwater were cancelled four years ago when the fleet was grounded following two Osprey crashes in the U.S. that killed 23 Marines.
In July 1992, a test Osprey crashed into the Potomac River, killing four Boeing employees and three Marines.
Very interesting idea for an aircraft, but this thing has killed too many already.
Nice concept but the technology isn't there yet. The problem is that Boeing, some generals (consultants) and Pentagon (consultants) want this thing done.
What needs to happen is that the consultants and CEO, CFO and Chairman of Boeing should use this aircraft to ferry to work in Seattle and D.C. for 1 year ... every day. Then I'd let my son go into battle with one of those as his transport.
Yeah, I don't get why they killed the RAH-66 Comanche, but kept the Osprey.
It's a mediocre airplane and a poor helicopter. What's the point ? Trash the program
Glad to hear that the aircraft and crew were able to land is safely. It's too bad that the aircraft has had such a long teething phase and the fatalities have been tragic. None the less, I'm very happy that the aircraft continues to be tested and will one day be a part of our military inventory. The problems will be fixed and almost certainly a similar aircraft will be adapted for civilian applications.
How long are we going to put up this piece of junk ? It doesn't even look like it wants to fly.
Actually, I'm incredibly impressed that it could lose that much of a rotor, and the first indication was was cockpit indicators. I would have guessed it would have shook like a wet dog.
I agree.
I think we'll have to put up with it as long as politicians run the acquisition process and not the people directly in charge of it's mission intentions. Sad state of affairs.
All 'copters and nothing but a collection of nuts and bolts flying in loose formation. They all shake and rattle and give you an uneasy feeling; you always feel better when they are back on the ground.
Because its pieces and parts are made in more states and Congressional districts than anything else. Congressporkers will never kill it.
The big tail and fuselage structures come from Vought Aircraft, in Tennessee and Georgia. The engines are from Rolls Royce, in Indiana, the infrared suppressors from Honeywell, in California, and other subsystems are shipped from smaller suppliers across the United States. The pieces all come together at the Assembly and Integration Center in Amarillo.
*slaps hand on face*
UGH!
Yeah, now I get it.
*chuckle*
Thanks!
It was supposed to be a scout as well, which would replace/augment the Kiowa.
At least that was what some of the propaganda brochures/ info packets said.
They referred to it as the "Comanche light scout helicopter"
I'll bet that you're a proponent of removing all Blackhawks/Seahawks/Hueys/Cobras/Apaches/Chinooks/Sea Knights/Stallions/Super Stallions/Kiowas/Sea Rangers/Sea Kings from service based on the number of fatalities associated with them.
A: ZERO
I thought so.
Any qualms about letting your, or anyone elses, son fly into combat on 40 year old CH-46Es, AKA Boeing Body Bags?
More fecal wisdom from the inbred goober crowd.
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