All things MV-22 Osprey

[Dave Shutter]

Does anyone in the pipeline or elsewhere have any info on how Osprey training will go?
I'm wondering if prospective students will come from either the helo or prop pipeline, or wether another tract altogether will be made up.

Osprey isn't the only tilt rotor plane flying. At the Andrews show there was a small 6 place executive tilt rotor. I would think a trainer like that would be a good idea for advanced training in a Osprey tract, instead of just throwing a newly winged prop or helo stud into the water at an Osprey RAG.

Info anyone???

D

 

[Tripp]

Ya, that's the Bell/Augusta 609. The Coasties are getting their own version of the 609 for SAR (appropriately named the HV-609), so the Navy (I would assume) will probably get a version for training (TV-609, perhaps?). I sat inside a civilian 609 at a business aviation conference...it's about the size of a King Air 200 inside.

Bell Helicopter/Textron Products

Edited by - Tripp on 9 August 2000

 

[Tripp]

Osprey Possibly on Endangered List

quote:Osprey on Endangered List?
Aero-News.net

Johnathan Landay, who writes for Knight-Ridder, released a story Monday that cited an unnamed Bush transition team member as saying that the new Administration thinks the Marines may have "made a mistake" in putting all the branch's heli-eggs in one basket. He's quoted as saying, as kindly as possible, "I think they made a mistake... If it works, it's going to be a fantastic piece of technology; but clearly, they've got some significant problems."

The Pentagon's budget shortfall, now coming to light, has been pegged at between $50 and $100 billion per year. There are many ways to make that up: more personnel cuts, reduction of deployments in both size and scope, and cutbacks in training come to mind. Even more-popular is the reduction in new outlays for new technology; and cutting the riskiest technology is the most politically-defensible route.

Other Pentagon projects that are rumored to be facing the axe include the D-21 electric-powered destroyers, and the Crusader howitzer; but aviation would take huge hits. In addition to the trouble-plagued Osprey, the mildly problematic F-22 Raptor, and even the promising Joint Strike Fighter are endangered.

Of all the current new projects, though, the V-22 Osprey looks to be in the greatest danger. SECDEF Dick Cheney (the VP-elect) canceled the program back in 1989; and he has seen four Osprey crashes since then. SECDEF nominee Donald Rumsfeld will be handed the hot potato in about a month.

 

[Tripp]

MARINES CANCEL OSPREY

quote:USMC Cancels Osprey, Returns Old Helicopters to Service
01 April 2001
Aero-News.net
by Columnist-at-Large Kevin O'Brien

The USMC today announced that it was finally giving up on the beleaguered V-22 Osprey convertiplane. "I have every confidence in the aircraft," Commandant of the Marine Corps Gen. James L. Jones told the Pentagon press, "but it's wasting too much of my time. Last week I spent thirty hours talking to Congressional staffers, ten hours in a screaming match with the press (I won; no surprise), six hours meeting with widows and orphans, and four hours trying to talk a Bell-Boeing marketing manager out of jumping off the Pentagon roof. I didn't join the Marines to talk to a bunch of jerks. I could go down the hall to [Army Chief of Staff Gen.] Shinseki for that."

The Marines will now fly the Vietnam-era CH-46 and H-1 helicopters "until the cows come home," Jones said in exasperation. To make up shortfalls, especially in spare parts, the Marines have sworn to repossess any equivalents of these Marine helicopters, wherever they may be.

As it turns out, most of them are in scrapyards or museums. A National Air and Space Museum curator was injured in a scuffle with USMC Repo men. "All I have left is dangling cables and memories, and I've lost my pride and joy to some Jarheads," he told us.

"I could have told him," Jones said. "Don't mess with the Marines." Won't the museum aircraft be unairworthy, we asked? "We've also ordered lots of baling wire and chewing gum. Everyone knows a Marine crew chief can fix anything with those two crucial supplies. Under the last administration, crew chiefs were reduced to buying their own chewing gum and baling wire. Things have looked up considerably under the new administration and we are hoping the Corps can close the chewing gum gap by 2002," Jones said.

What will happen to the handful of Marine aviators who have been given the now-discontinued Powered Lift rating? "I'm not sure," Jones admitted. "There's been some talk of redesigning the Osprey so it uses more baling wire and chewing gum."

FMI: http://www.usmc.mil

 

[Frumby]

IF this is for real, Thank God! If anybody doesn't know this is the oldest research and developement aircraft in US history. It started R&D in....1969! Pretty ballsy comments by the Commandant. Someone remind me to send him a Christmas Card. By the way, the Japanese bought the plans for the Ch-46 quite a few years ago and Kawasaki has been building them. I saw one "perform" during an airshow in Iwakuni, Japan. Extremely impressive.
Semper Fi! Frumby

Attack Pilot
Major USMC

 

[Tripp]

Naw, it's my pitiful attempt at an April Fool's Joke. ANN (the media outlet I pulled this from) does an April Fool's edition of their newsletter each year.

http://aero-news.net/news2001/0400/040101a.htm

 

[aviatorshade]

Thats pretty good Tripp, I must admit you had me fooled. Usually the Commandant is more articulate in his speech, but the confidence was there. If you look at the specs on the new Osprey you can see why its development is still being pushed despite many unfortunate mishaps in the past. Hopefully all those techno-geeks will figure out a way to fix it before any other Marines lose their lives.

Semper Fidelis

 

[Frumby]

Damn,
I was hoping a four star would eventually tell the liberal media to shove it. You had me fooled Tripp. Of course, it's easy to fool the ones who wish it would come true.
Semper Fi! Frumby

Attack Pilot
Major USMC

 

[Tahoe]

OOOPS!!! I copied that off here and sent it to my bosses here at United Defense, hope they didn't use it as a topic in any meetings

 

[Tripp]

quote:
OOOPS!!! I copied that off here and sent it to my bosses here at United Defense, hope they didn't use it as a topic in any meetings
I'm sorry...if your bosses give you any heat, my name is ENS John Wickham, USN and I am stationed at NAS Jax w/ VP-30 (The "Pros Nest"). They can take it up with my CO.



Dang, I crack myself up...

 

[Dave Shutter]

Don't worry Frumby, hang around here long enough and you get used to ole Tripp, hell, you may even grow fond of the little guy!

BTW Major Hein, sending a pic for John to put up that I think you'll dig, ought to make you feel better

D

Edited by - Dave Shutter on 04/04/2001 03:27:51

 

[Tripp]

quoteon't worry Frumby, hang around here long enough and you get used to ole Tripp, hell, you may even grow fond of the little guy!
AHEM!

quote:Tripp
A Gator Wanna Be!! Go Blue and Orange!!
Just you wait, we'll beat you in SOMETHING (just don't ask me what, though...lol).



Edited by - Tripp on 04/04/2001 14:09:07

 

[webmaster]

Tripp -- LOL, wondered how long it would take you to notice that... and you are also going to wonder how long it is going to take me to get around to taking it down... muhaha or replacing it with something else, anyone have any suggestions?

 

[Tripp]

What, is this "Pick On Tripp Day" or something?





Edited by - Tripp on 04/05/2001 00:18:20

 

[marti]

V-22

I thought it might be interesting to get a few opinions on the Osprey. For many years now I have tried as hard as I possibly could to not develope an opinion on this thing. The reason being that any opinion I might have would be uninformed, and I hate being wrong. So, I am still waiting. I did see a program on discovery Wings the other day that had about 15 minutes on the Osprey. Until then I had never seen it transition from horizontal to vertical, and I have to admit that it was impressive.