[Candor7]

I have been around a couple of B 17s in my youth, as well as a Lancaster bomber.

The utilitarian fuctionalism and rugged design of the equipment is something we do not see often in military equipment these days. Everything about a B-17 was overdesigned. They were rugged.

A turret like that on a osprey with twin 50 cals would be awesome. Or even twin miniguns.

Two Ospreys could generate enough suppressive fire to land troops in the middle of a firefight if necessary, or land in the middle of a fire fight to extract troops.

I hope they go with it.

[Joe 6-pack]

"The utilitarian fuctionalism and rugged design of the equipment is something we do not see often in military equipment these days."

You know, I have an M42 paratrooper's top...it's as functional and every bit as rugged as anything I was issued 50 years later (although I think the Gore-Tex ECWCs will also go down as a military classic). I also think the M1 carbine is extremely under-rated for what it represented in the way of weapon design...