Osprey - is that gold blinking under the crust of dirt?

[Skybird]

http://blogs.forbes.com/beltway/2011...nding-critics/

It seems one learns to like it.

[Matador.es]

As one Marine commander in Iraq put it, the Osprey “turns Texas into Rhode Island,” greatly increasing the reach of U.S. ground forces with an aircraft that is both more versatile and more survivable than any conventional helicopter.

its long....

[Oberon]

It takes a while for something like this to slot in. The Harrier took a while to come into its own after some big engine problems in the early years.

[Gargamel]

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!

[TLAM Strike]

Originally Posted by Gargamel

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!

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.

[Gargamel]

Originally Posted by TLAM Strike

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.

I can also see it becoming more common place to see this type of airframe in a civilian setting. Along with the lift capabilities, the passenger service could be a game changer too. Use existing heliports while being able to do high speed inter-city runs. Imagine Boston-NY-Baltimore-DC type transports from rooftops or urban areas in short amounts of time.

[Onkel Neal]

Nice article and welcome news, thanks for posting, Sky.

[UnderseaLcpl]

Originally Posted by Skybird

It seems one learns to like it.

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

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

[Skybird]

Originally Posted by UnderseaLcpl

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

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

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. ). 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.

[UnderseaLcpl]

Originally Posted by Skybird

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. ). 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.

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.

[kraznyi_oktjabr]

Originally Posted by UnderseaLcpl

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.

Well method of progress may not be perfect but without some stubborn people (with some stupidity mixed in) we would propably still happily live in treetops without evil technology.

[tater]

The training squadron is here in Albuquerque, they fly past my house (often level with my house, lol (I'm 1500 ft above town)) all the time. A friend knows a guy with the squadron who told him if you ever see 2 at once flying, that's a good day, and if you see 3, mark you calendar, it's a banner day. Keeping them running is a bit of an issue, but other than that they seem OK so far.

[em2nought]

I thought the last article I read said they were intentionally avoiding the more dangerous spots with Ospreys, if that's the case maybe they are still fudging the data.

I'd like to see it die because I'm tired of projecting power, lets go back to landing craft with detroit diesels. Obviously if our gear is too good, there seems to be too much urge to use it.