Posted on 10/16/2006 9:10:13 AM PDT by A.A. Cunningham
Pilots thrilled by CV-22 capabilities
by Staff Sgt. Jeremy Larlee
Air Force Print News
10/6/2006 - KIRTLAND AIR FORCE BASE, N.M. (AFPN) -- When he talks about his new aircraft, the CV-22 Osprey, the lieutenant colonel's face lights up like a kid opening presents on his birthday.
After 10 years of flying the MC-130H Combat Talon II, CV-22 instructor pilot Lt. Col. Darryl Sheets, from the 8th Special Operations Squadron at Hurlburt Field, Fla., said he has enjoyed his time in the aircraft.
"When it's in the airplane mode, to me this is like a C-130 sports car," he said. "It is probably three times more responsive and is a joy to fly."
The CV-22 has two distinct flying modes. It is able to rotate its rotors in different positions to hover like a helicopter or fly like a traditional prop-based aircraft like the C-130.
Colonel Sheets said it was an amazing feeling when he hovered for the first time.
"I had a smile from ear-to-ear," he said. "The aerodynamics of this aircraft makes it extremely stable in hover and in the transition between the two modes. My hat is off to the engineers who designed it."
Hovering is old news for Capt. Paul Alexander, a CV-22 instructor pilot from the 8th SOS, who has 22 years of experience flying helicopters in the Army and the Air Force. But the ability to fly at altitudes of 25,000 feet, about 15,000 feet higher than the he was accustomed to in helicopters, and fly at cruising speeds about two times faster than a helicopter is exciting, he said.
"It's been a lot of years since I have eagerly looked forward to every flight I take," he said. "This is what is keeping me in the military after 22 years of service."
The two pilots are at Kirtland AFB to create the procedures for how the CV-22 will be deployed.
It is a humbling experience to know that generations of pilots will be using the work they created, Captain Alexander said.
"I'm living the dream," he said. "It is an exciting time for us because we are in on the ground floor and writing the book on how we are going to deploy this aircraft."
Colonel Sheets said learning how to operate the aircraft has been like going back to pilot school again. He believes the CV-22 will be an integral piece of the Air Force's special operation's arsenal for years to come.
"Every day is a challenge at work," he said. "Something new comes up daily and this aircraft never ceases to amaze me."
A CV-22 Osprey lands at Kirtland Air Force Base, N.M., Oct. 5 after flying an air-refueling mission. This versatile, self-deployable aircraft offers increased speed and range over other rotary-wing aircraft and can perform missions that normally would require both fixed-wing and rotary-wing aircraft. (U.S. Air Force photo/Tech Sgt. Cecilio M. Ricardo Jr.)
Lots of old aircraft had no "bottom" to the airfoil, among them I believe the Wright Flyer.
>Imagine the next NASA competition for a launch vehicle.
> Boeing, Lockheed, Chrysler? Ford?
Ford used to have aerospace divisions. The Aeroneutronic Division of Philco-Ford was responsible for a lot of avionics in the Apollo-Saturn days; Philco built, IIRC, the first "mission control" in Houston.
Ford also built the Trimotor, but that was obviously a little bit earlier...
Obviously, there are exciting photos of the Osprey on this thread, and posting this pic would be like pitting a pedal car to a Formula One racer, so I'll let a link suffice...;) http://www.ctie.monash.edu.au/hargrave/images/nieuport_1_1909_01_1000.jpg
It's a totally different type of aircraft. BTW, the Osprey cannot autorotate in an emergency. Guess thats why they have the APU and drive transmission for emergencies.
So, what certifications are required to pilot one? helluvacopter? fixed-wing? or a confusion of both?
"What will its mission be"?
-Is it intended to take the place of an existing aircraft of any type?
-It cannot land in (or near) a hot LZ like a helicopter.
-Its internal cabin capacity is pretty small (much smaller than a CH-53 or -47)
-Is there an armed version? mini-guns, rocket pods?
-How close can their in-flight formations be?
Please enlighten me regarding this if possible, and what part pilot error might have played in those early setbacks, if any. I remember the incidents, but I don't remember reading anything about any followup reports.
I truly hope that these and even more powerful 4 engine transports will be in the offing, as it will enable really quick and overwhelming deployment of Marines and Special Ops forces, and much quicker extraction of downed pilots and ground forces in tough positions.
Ah! I see! When I was observating them, I had no "whop-whop noise" of AH-1 Cobras and UH-1 Hueys confusing my ears.
Yes, because they don't all live in Detroit, and thus don't succumb to the industry groupthink that "our Americans" do.
>>-It cannot land in (or near) a hot LZ like a helicopter.
That's a big issue I haven't seen addressed. There are plenty of accounts of Chinooks going into hot LZs during OIF in The March Up and in Ollie North's book (can't remember the title).
I guess we'll retire the CH-47s, use CH-53s for hot zone situations, and these for medium-range haul.
"What will its mission be"
"Is it intended to take the place of an existing aircraft of any type?"
Medium-lift replacement for the CH-46E and the older CH-53D. Troops and supplies in-theater.
"It cannot land in (or near) a hot LZ like a helicopter" Untrue. The Block B aircraft being delivered now have an interim, ramp-mounted M240 Squad Automatic Weapon (machine gun) on a pedestal. They're still investigating what the final defensive weapon will be. Mind, if you KNOW an LZ is hot, you'd likely either suppress hostiles first, or go elsewhere.
"Its internal cabin capacity is pretty small (much smaller than a CH-53 or -47)" That's because it replaces the 46 in a MEDIUM-LIFT mission.
"Is there an armed version? mini-guns, rocket pods?" See above re: the SAW. A gunship version isn't really too practical a concept, as the proprotors block the forward quadrant from either under the wing or the sponsons.
"How close can their in-flight formations be?" About the same as most helicopters in VTOL mode; in airplane mode, the operators seem to prefer a "loose-deuce" type formation.
Folks, it's very tempting to compare the V-22 to a specific helo or airplane, which is a mistake. It's a hybrid aircraft, meaning it has some capabilities (and limitations) associated with each type aircraft. But no other aircraft can take off from a ship, fly 250 miles, land in an LZ to pick up Pax or cargo, and return, all in about two hours. Think of medevac from the battlefield, or after Katrina.
TC
I heard the one crash that killed those Marines out in Arizona was pilot error. Don't know how to fix human error--I haven't seen anyone who hasn't made a mistke misatkemitsake mistake or three...
Global Security has a good summary of the problem with that crash, which was descending at 250% of the rate of descent that they are supposed to use while also having very low forward air speed. That resulted in a condition that also affects regular helicopters, but the V-22 responds differently to the problem and pilots needed to learn a new way to recover from it.
There was also a severe design problem with the hydraulics that led to another crash and some severe problems with the control software for the aircraft. This article has a good summary of the crashes and what they did to fix the problems.
Accoridng to the air show announcer - it's fully capable of turning both on a single engine.
Of course lots of aircraft, about any with more than one engine, can fly with one cold but I've never met a pilot or mission planner who was in favor of the idea.
Side note: Saw a USMC MV-22 demonstrated yesterday - looks pertty good out there. All the stand bys, Seastallion/Cobra/Slick looked like they were at anchor.
Amazing aircraft, hope they got the "bugs" out of it.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.
