[grobdriver]

I read a few days ago about a push to replace COD aircraft with the Ospreys.
I've been watching their development for years (decades?) and I just don't have a good feeling about them. A lot of people have been killed in these things - whether to training or maintenance or just inherent dangers/stabilization in hover to flight transition and back.

I don't know. I can't quantify it - can't back it up with facts, just as an aviation nut, ex-Navy aircrew and pilot myself, I'd hate to have a son flying them.
I'd never sleep.

Prayers up!

[sonofagun]

I don't know. I can't quantify it - can't back it up with facts, just as an aviation nut, ex-Navy aircrew and pilot myself, I'd hate to have a son flying them. I'd never sleep.

There've been a lot of lessons learned flying this machine. My son loves it and I have every confidence that the plane will take care of the troops as long as the pilot takes care to follow his training as is true with any type aircraft.

The last operational loss, I believe, was an Air Force Model that the pilot flew into the ground. Even at that, most of the occupants survived.

[Blood of Tyrants]

The Osprey is a dangerous aircraft. It was in development for over 20 years because it was so dangerous. When it couldn’t meet the operational requirements, they simply lowered the requirements.

[Old Teufel Hunden]

"I've been watching their development for years (decades?) and I just don't have a good feeling about them."

First started hearing about them while in the Corps in the late 80's. I want to say around 1987 or so. It's been a long time to get this thing operational and numerous times people have tried to kill it. Overall, I think this Osprey is a good thing for the Corps. The capabilities it gives the Marine Corps is tremendous. It's had it's mishaps along the way, but if you go back into the history of every helicopter program, there have been problems, crashes and deaths.

We can't judge this crash without any facts and assume that it was a malfunction of the Osprey. It could be pilot error, weather, mechanical failures due to improper maintenance procedures. A million things. Let's not assume that the helicopter is flawed. Remember, in the early 80's there were people trying to kill the M-1 Abrams program. It is now the main battle tank of our military and without it, there would have been a lot more deaths in Gulf War I and Iraq. Good thing it wasn't killed and is now considered one of the best tanks in the world.

[VF-51vnv]

I was at Bell Helicopter when this was my project during the development phase. Stayed there long enough to see the first production product. After seeing the ballistics test on the under carriage...you don't want to be in there. Lots of maintenance problems..lots of downtime...problems with the transitional modes. The test pilots were even scared to take it up. Trust me on this one...I have flown on the CODs many times. I will take them over the V-22 ANYTIME

[Gaffer]

IIRC, the Osprey program was wrought with difficulties from the start. My assessment is that it was a political jobs tool for the Democrats.