Originally posted by RTStabler51:


I still think the Osprey needs lots of work; at least from previous readigns about it. I know I wouldn't want to fly on one!



Interesting article I just found follows; Whether it still needs work or not, it's going into production! I dunno, I'm getting the feeling that although the V-22 has had many development failures, it's almost an entirely new type of aircraft, as far as integrating other types of flight into one craft. To be expected, and I'm sure they've worked most of the bugs out if they're trusting them enough to put Marines on when they start coming out of production..

US Navy confirms V-22 incident, denies danger

By Andrea Shalal-Esa
Reuters
Tuesday, October 25, 2005; 8:25 PM

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - An incident involving a V-22 tiltrotor aircraft has prompted charges by a watchdog group that it cannot fly through clouds, but the U.S. Navy denies the engines stalled or that the crew was in danger.

The Project On Government Oversight (POGO) said it had learned from unnamed sources that both engines of the Air Force version of the V-22, or Osprey, had stalled last week after flying into a cloud at 18,000 feet, presumably because of ice.


V-22 program office spokesman James Darcy confirmed an incident involving icing took place on October 18 when the CV-22 aircraft - the name of the Air Force version -- was en route to Edwards Air Force Base, California for systems testing -- prompting an unscheduled landing in Prescott, Arizona.

But he denied that either engine stalled out and said the crew was never in any danger: "The POGO report is completely false. The aircraft was never out of controlled flight, the engines never lost power, the landing was precautionary."

The Pentagon last month approved full-rate production of the Marine Corps version of the V-22, which takes off and lands like a helicopter but can fly like a plane. It is built by Textron Inc. unit Bell Helicopter and Boeing Co..

Eric Miller, investigator with POGO, said the incident was troubling, despite the Navy's denials.

"This is very disturbing," he said. Only last month the Pentagon approved the Marines version of V-22 for full-rate production. And now we find out the aircraft can't even fly into a cloud."

Darcy said the CV-22 -- a prototype that was not equipped with the de-icing equipment that will be standard on operational aircraft -- began flying on instruments after hitting severe thunderstorms and icing conditions.

He said an investigation was still underway, but early data showed that some ice was sucked into the engines, prompting the digital engine controller to cycle the engines through several recovery modes, although they never stalled.

He said the MV-22, the Marine Corp version just cleared for full production, had been through two five-month periods of de-icing tests, with another round due to begin in November.

The program office had not yet issued a flight clearance for the de-icing equipment because it needed to test it under further environmental conditions, Darcy said, noting that most Navy helicopters do not have de-icing equipment.

He said the equipment should be flight-cleared in time for operational use of the V-22s, scheduled for September 2007.

The Air Force plans to buy 50 CV-22's to replace its fleet of MH-53J Pave Low helicopters used to insert and extract special operations force from enemy areas. Operational tests of the CV-22 are planned for late next year.

The Air Force version of the V-22 is modified for longer flights with advanced radar that should improve night operations and low altitude flights in bad weather.

* Marine Officer Candidate * My Cardomain Page 1998 EO Black SVTC #3388