V-22 enter service in Iraq

[FiLtH]

Wouldnt you tink this plane would be better in areas where short take off would be needed. I mean..its a frickin desert!

[john9001]

Originally posted by Nilsen
Im not in any way against the thing, I just think its too expensive and "fragile" for frontline combat/SR duty. Its clear advantages over a helicopter is not large enough to justify it. History may prove me wrong, but im no supporter of it just yet.

the V22 is NOT a combat aircraft, it is a transport aircraft.

[Fishu]

autorotation hasn't helped much in Iraq and Afganistan. Only a few choppers have managed to land their crew safely after a critical hit. Either they've crashed and died or flown back home for repairs. Choppers doesn't glide all that well if something happens to the blades or the controls.

Besides, most of the crashes in Iraq and Afganistan have happened while travelling. Osprey will be much faster and harder to hit, I'd also say it has a better chance of surviving a hit because of the wings.

[Fishu]

Originally posted by john9001
the V22 is NOT a combat aircraft, it is a transport aircraft.

That doesn't mean much. People have died in Blackhawks and Chinooks during non-combat transport flights. That's the bad thing with terrorists, freedom fighters, enemy combatants etc. etc., when they can be anywhere.

[GtoRA2]

Time did a hack job on it.

It is not a chopper.  

Isn't this the thing the Marines are using to replace the seaknight helo that sucked when it was new and used in Vietnam, and still sucks?  It can not be worse that that.

[Yeager]

As an airplane, the V22 will do fine.  Its the getting to and from the airplane part of the flight envelope that causes the problems.

All helos are accidents just waiting to happen....

If there is a mission for this thing, it will be in wherever combat troops need to be deployed.  I will wait and see how it is implimented and how likely it is to be brought down by enemy fire before I declare it a waste.  Plenty of people have died in helos and airplanes over the last 100 years........30 deaths a program ends not.

[Hornet33]

Boy you guys don't keep up with stuff do you? The V-22 has turned into a VERY reliable and SAFE aircraft. 30+ people died in the original PROTOTYPE aircraft. I have a friend of mine that works up at Pax River and was involved in the testing of the V-22. He's told me that since those crashes they have fixed the problems and it's a solid aircraft now. I tend to believe him.

As far as it being an expensive program. When has pushing the bounderies of technology not been expensive in dollars and human lives? Take the space program for instance. How about the early days of aviation when there were no computers to assist in the development of planes. They built it and some test pilot would take it up and see what happens. Many died before they got it right, and then sometimes watermelon just happens.

The V-22 fills a role that can't be matched by any other aircraft in the world and it does it very well.

[Nilsen]

Originally posted by john9001
the V22 is NOT a combat aircraft, it is a transport aircraft.

And your marines dont use their trainsport aircraft in dangerzones? Im sure the marines will be glad to hear

[LePaul]

I wish you guys were around when they were first introducing helicopters.  Terribly unsafe machines, arent they?

[AquaShrimp]

I'm not saying this as an insult, but I can't believe how ignorant some people are of the V-22 and aeronautical engineering in general.  

As a general rule of thumb, if an aircraft supercedes the performance of its predecessor by 10%, its considered a remarkable feat.  Most new aircraft do not even hit the 10% mark.

[rpm]

I used to sit and watch V-22's all day when I lived in Hurst, Tx next to the Bell plant. They have a small test landing area just off Raider Rd. Those things are amazing. The transition from hover to level flight is just seconds. It's MUCH faster than a Blackhawk, carries a heavier payload and is more fuel efficient. It is also very, very quiet compared to a helo.

It will do a fine job for the Marines. I haven't heard anything about it, but I suspect a "Spooky" version will be made by the Marines. You could pack that bad boy down with with some serious firepower. I think the best application will be SAR with the Coast Guard.