Pentagon gives Osprey production go-ahead

AP ^ | 9/28/2005 | Staff Writer (AP)

[TXBSAFH]

Good

[faq]

According to Bell, the current plans include the delivery of 360 aircraft to the Marines, 50 to the U.S. Air Force and 48 to the Navy. The total program is worth in excess of $19 billion to Bell and Textron through 2018.

[Zeroisanumber]

Widowmakers. I don't know why this program hasn't been scrapped.

[359Henrie]

How many nuggets did the Harriers kill until training took over?

[Eric in the Ozarks]

These things don't look like they want to fly...

[billorites]

"V-22 Osprey, the hybrid helicopter-airplane that the Marine Corps considers vital to the future of its air fleet."

The advocacy by the Corps of the V-22, more than anything else, supports and reinforces the old prejudice that the Marines aren't dealing from a full deck.

Every pilot recognizes that aircraft as an abortion.

[Shermy]

Widowmakers. I don't know why this program hasn't been scrapped.

Answer at post # 3.

[Blood of Tyrants]

Because certain powerful congressmen wanted the jobs. It has nothing to do with the aircraft.

[USNBandit]

It wasn't training that took over, it was the B model that showed up. Even with that, the AV-8B still leads the pack in Class A mishaps.

I hope I'm wrong, but I don't expect the Osprey to be much better.

[narby]

This is a fantastic new technology that will benefit the military very much.

Helicopters were first adopted by the military and didn't really become viable commercial aircraft until later.

When this technology become a bit more mature, it will open up new opportunities for commuter airlines.

[USNBandit]

Without starting an argument, I have one question.

How does the Osprey deal with shipboard ops, with one engine over the deck and one over water? Doesn't that put one engine in ground effect and one out of ground effect?

[USNBandit]

There's an old military aviation saying....Don't fly the "A" model of anything.

[benjaminjjones]

Can the Osprey autorotate like a helo? Just curious.

Never Mind! Answered my own question

[taxed2death]

"This is a fantastic new technology that will benefit the military very much."

If it's so fantastic, why did they have to seriously narrow the flight parameters in order to "fix" the problems?

[359Henrie]

But what were the requirement? I thought it was 1000 hrs of Hard time. Mishaps went down. I'm not up on the numbers.

[Ruddles]

Don't the Geneva Conventions prohibit shooting RPGs at these?

[narby]

don't expect the Osprey to be much better.

That crash in AZ happened about a week after I was in the tower cab at the Chandler AZ airport and one of these things flew right through the traffic pattern without talking to anyone. The controllers got on the phone trying to find out who it was and were mad as heck.

About a week later one of them got into "descent with power", a phenomenon that will happen with any rotorcraft that descends too fast. He was about 2x-4x the maximum descent rate. Idiot pilot committed suicide and took 20 or so Marines with him.

I wouldn't doubt it a bit if it was the same bozo that flew through the Chandler airspace.

There wasn't a thing wrong with the aircraft except the stick actuator.

[golfisnr1]

Absolutely. Terrible safety record.

[cynicom]

Cheny or someone scrapped it once. This turkey will not fly. Been under development for about 20 years. Billions of dollars down the rat hole.