Posted on 05/16/2019 7:53:30 AM PDT by topher
Yes, it is very crash-worthy, but I try not to get shutdown in the first place. By 1993 enough had been written about urban warfare to know that you don’t fly slow within small arms and antitank weapons range.
The Night Stalkers are at the top of the food chain where helicopter combat operations are concerned, and I respect them very much, but in this case Durant exposed himself unnecessarily. With the power that an empty 60 has, I would have exited the infil area in a different manner.
Monday morning quarterbacking obviously, and I wasn’t there, and I’m sure Durant could kick my ass, flying or otherwise, if he had the opportunity.
Ha! The uh60 is the only aircraft that I ever technically crashed in. A failed liftoff and subsequent drop and bounce at Graf in 86. Otherwise, I had good success with the hawk over the years. Oldest bird I vflew in was a uh1 at Rucker, built before I was born, back in 97, I was born in 61. Bh-Flew over the Andes in one EtripleS equipped. Return trip was a Chinook. The hook was mo’ better! Even had a 500 gal steel fuel tank amidships. Ah, the smell of jet fuel and cherry juice in the morning!
Those sound like mission constraints or pilot discretion, not inherent flaws in the aircraft design.
Almost every single flight of my 300+ hours in the 60 had a caution or warning light come on, in addition to 2 electrical fires with the AFCS, one of which was in flight. Granted, it was an A model...
Yes, but what I’m saying is that the UH-60 may have the crashworthiness and power going for it, but otherwise it is (or was, at least with the model I flew) a maintenance nightmare, easy to bring down, be it with an RPG or a puff of sand.
So the Osprey hasn’t killed enough people to matter?
As a NAVY Vet, I prefer the SH-3 Seaking over the SH-60(Blackhawk. The Seaking is a maintenance nightmare, but its performance is worth it.
HOLY COW, Kevin!
Where have you been hiding?
1. The Osprey has turned out to be a very popular and safe transport in service. It isn’t without its flaws still but once it got over it’s teething troubles, it seems to be doing well.
2. The sad fact is that the helicopter the Osprey replaces, the CH-46 killed more people in development and killed more people by this time in service. The reason the Marines were so insistent on getting the Osprey is because the CH-46 has a very nasty habit of killing Marines, a trait not shared by its bigger brother, the CH-47 Chinook.
In addition to what others have said, the Valor should be cheaper and simpler as it will not include the expensive and complex rotor folding and wing rotating system needed for the Osprey to fit aboard ship, IIRC.
The max speed of the V22 is about 290 mph.
The max speed of the UH 60 Blackhawk is about 183 mph.
The max speed of the Apache Helicopter is about 176 mph.
The V22 can carry a heavier payload and fly higher than the listed specs for the V280.
However, a mission such as S.A.R. (Search and Rescue), speed is very important along with range.
For example, you have some injured people 100 miles away. It would take more than 30 minutes each way in the V22 and much longer than that in the Blackhawk.
Calculated time for 200 miles (round trip):
V280 would be about 60 minutes more or less.
V22 would be about 1 hour and 15 minutes more or less.
In a rescue operation when someone is injured, getting the person to proper facilities and the time to do that would be critical to saving the life.
By having multiple platforms with multiple different capabilities allows commanders to choose the platform (capability versus mission requirments).
The V280 should have a smaller RADAR footprint than the V22.
Just a different factor in usage...
FYI: https://www.helis.com/database/accidents/?org=134
The CH-46 has had more crashes and killed more Marines than any other copter in Corps history. Including the “look at it and it crashes” H-34.
Worth mentioning that among potential opposition equipment, the Mi-24 Hind and variants can go 208mph and can perform many of the functions of the Blackhawk and Apache (for those that don’t know, it’s a gunship like the Apache, more heavily armored than the Apache and it can carry 8 troops under armor while doing it).
Among other missions, having a craft that can fly in, insert troops and run the hell away from any reaction forces carried in Hinds would be really nice considering just how many countries that don’t like us fly Hinds.
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