Ospreys to stay grounded for now

The Japan Times Online ^ | Sunday August 5, 2012 | AP, AFP-Jiji

[ME-262]

Ospreys to stay grounded for now Pentagon chief bans test flights until Japan OKs aircraft's safety

WASHINGTON — The United States will suspend all flight operations by MV-22 Ospreys in Japan until Tokyo confirms the tilt-rotor aircraft's safety, U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said.

[ME-262]

The gift that keeps on giving. Maybe if we throw a few hundred billion dollars more at the program this lemon will become a little less of a lemon. /s.

[Kartographer]

Well someone didn’t get the word because I just saw one making maneuver turns over the West Mesa here in Albuquerque just a bit ago.

[ASA Vet]

The United States will suspend all flight operations by MV-22 Ospreys in Japan

RIF

[EGPWS]

It’s suspended in Japan only.

[xone]

The ban is just in Japan because of the basing in Futenma. The Japanese have built up to the fence at that base, so any incident gets them worked up fast.

[PreciousLiberty]

“The gift that keeps on giving. Maybe if we throw a few hundred billion dollars more at the program this lemon will become a little less of a lemon.”

The basic idea is good. I hope they’ve worked out the problems and the MV-22 will stay operational.

[ME-262]

The basic idea is good.

That is where I disagree. Putting the lifting rotors on the wingtips guarantees that any disparity in thrust will roll the craft over and kill everybody. Then the wings had to be made so much stronger and heavier since they lift from the very tip only while hovering. Then a massive drive shaft had to go from one wingtip to the other to guarantee a chance of surviving the loss of a single engine. If this aircraft had been designed with a center-line thrust rotor on a raised pylon that pivoted from above the center of gravity to in front of the craft it would be simple stable and efficient. The design was/is/and always will be unnecessarily complex, inherently unstable, and inefficient with correspondingly poor performance.

[ME-262]

Here is an example of how to do it right from a 1923 patent.

Things are shortened for illustration purposes.

[PreciousLiberty]

“That is where I disagree.”

I was referring to the idea of altering the angle of the rotor between traditional prop airplane to helicopter. Having a hover-capable vehicle that can cruise over 350 KT is clearly a big win.

Your points are interesting, I’d like to see them evaluated by a qualified aero engineer. One thing I’d note right off the bat is having two counter-rotating props eliminates the torque issue. With a single rotor design, you need a way to counter torque in hover mode.

Plenty of work went into the Osprey design, I’m pretty sure they covered the obvious issues.

[Puckster]

Well, I work in Afghanistan at a Marine FOB and they come an go on a regular basis.

When a RPG is fired at them upon approach, they maneuver quite nicely to avoid the incoming.

[Joe 6-pack]

"Putting the lifting rotors on the wingtips guarantees that any disparity in thrust will roll the craft over and kill everybody. Then the wings had to be made so much stronger and heavier since they lift from the very tip only while hovering."

They tried to put them at the wing roots, but the blades kept chewing into the fuselage. < /sarc>

[wrench]

Counter rotating props on co-axle shafts negates torque.

Or counter rotating rotors on meshed, twin shafts as the USAF rescue helo from the 60s with no tail rotor.

[A.A. Cunningham]

You still suffer from cranial rectumitis.

[A.A. Cunningham]

How many hours have you logged in either seat of a V-22?

[Kickass Conservative]

>”Things are shortened for illustration purposes”<

I’ve never used that excuse. What you see is what you get.

[ME-262]

Your points are interesting, I’d like to see them evaluated by a qualified aero engineer.
I'll assume that is a sarcastic backhand. For what it is worth I've got stuff flying all over the world, and in orbit over your head that will still be up there long after we're dead.

You are correct in assuming that the rotor system would either be coaxial or a torqueless type of system of which I am not at liberty to speak.

[ME-262]

How many hours have you logged in either seat of a V-22?
Apparently not enough for you, because I'm still alive. I knew you'd show up to defend your beloved MV-22 Ostrich.

[Tijeras_Slim]

They’ve been flying with no problems for a couple years at Kirtland AFB in NM. They frequently come over my house.

Have a sound you can’t mistake.

[ME-262]

>”Things are shortened for illustration purposes”<
I’ve never used that excuse. What you see is what you get.

I didn't do the 1923 drawing. In patent drawings I have submitted certain things are often given a vague representation to prevent certain aspects not covered by that particular patent from being disclosed to potential competitors and perhaps making the idea seem less viable to them.

[ME-262]

They’ve been flying with no problems for a couple years at Kirtland AFB in NM.
Your anecdotal evidence does not negate the fact that the MV-22 is unnecessarily complex, inherently unstable, and inefficient with correspondingly poor performance. The Japanese are questioning this aircraft for a reason. And no doubt somebody will be paid off and then it will be back flying over Japan.