Originally Posted by Gargamel (Post 1640430)

I've alsways been a fan of the osprey. Figured it would just take time to figure out how to build and fly them properly. Now that that it's serving well in the marines, I see it moving into other branches of the miltary, mainly the Army and Navy. Air Force has their Pave Low, and that thing is huge. If they need bigger, they got planes.

But I really seeing this come into play in the Coast Guard, just imagine the huge benefits this thing will have as a SAR platform!

http://www.vtol.org/vertiflite/IMAGE014.JPG

Originally Posted by TLAM Strike (Post 1640446)

I love the V-22's airframe. SOOO much potential. I would love to see an carrier based ASW version of the bird. Imagine the mission hardware of a S-3 and SH-60F installed in the payload bay! Plus it could roll sub/mine hunting UUVs out its stern.

Or install a large air search radar for AWACS duities. We could then base AWACS, MR MPAs, and Strike Fighters (JSFs) on a carrier without catapults.

The V-22 has the potential to be a game changer for more than just the Marines.

Originally Posted by kraznyi_oktjabr (Post 1641481)

I remember reading that Navy had troubles using Osprey onboard carriers. That was because engine exhaust caused damage to flight deck. Do anyone know have they solved that problem yet?

Originally Posted by Skybird (Post 1639892)

It seems one learns to like it.

Originally Posted by Gargamel (Post 1641682)

You'd think the prop wash would handle that?

Originally Posted by UnderseaLcpl (Post 1641697)

For what we spent on it and how impossibly long it took us to develop it someone had better like it, not to mention the casualties involved in testing it.

Don't get me wrong, the of the tilt-rotor is tactically and even strategically brilliant, but it was way too far ahead of its time when it got in the works, and it was handled very poorly. As (comparatively) fast as the Osprey is, it is little less vulnerable than a helicopter in every important respect. The AA countermeasures installed are no more sophisticated than those already employed by every other VTOL craft, and it has virtually no onboard offensive capability whatsoever. It's just a slightly faster and much more expensive CH-53, but without the lift capacity.

For what we spent in time and resources to build this POS we could have built thousands of AH-1W SuperCobras and CH-53s, or better yet, developed a cheaper, and more maneuverable design with contra-rotating blades like the Hokum with slightly less cargo capacity, but much more survivability an ECM capability. Actually, we could have just re-invented the Hind-D and done better. What a pitiful waste:nope:

There's so much dirt covering this gold that it's not even worth the resources needed to extract it, at least not yet.

Originally Posted by Skybird (Post 1641823)

Well, that is what the article says: that other branches jumped off the project somewhat, with the Marines being the only ones seeing its potential very early, and stubbornly sticking with it, no matter what derals they were offered to tempt them to leave it behind (your thosuands of Cobras etc. :DL ). It seems they nevertheless are shown to have been right now. Slowly, but surely. The thing seems to work reliably now since years, with better accident statistics since years than helicopters. I think the Corps got it right, and the dirt is blasting off the gold core now.

Originally Posted by UnderseaLcpl (Post 1641930)

I agree they managed to get it right, the Corps always gets it right.... eventually. I just wish we didn't constantly insist on getting it right through the tried-and-true combination of stubbornness and stupidity that seems to inimical to our service.