All things MV-22 Osprey

[FlyMikeFly]

She may be old, but she loves flying and carrying Marines. Anyone who thinks that aircraft don't have souls, here's a good story for you: I know the crew that flew the first 2 CH-46E's to the boneyard. Both crews said it was hard to do, especially once guys started climbing all over her and draining her fluids and whatnot. However, the first aircraft to be shutdown the pilots pulled back both ECLS, and she stayed at 100% Nf/Nr. Dual ECA failure on shutdown (I've only ever seen a single ECA failure). She went kicking and screaming...

That's awesome. Please understand, all the smack-talking I do is in good fun. I have a tremendous amount of respect for you Phrog pilots and for the bird itself. It is battle proven and time tested again and again. I just don't like being part of the cargo, would rather be at the controls!

 

[phrogdriver]

Today's North County Times article on the Osprey...with the expected, predictable comments.

Osprey "said to be performing well," so lets write a negative article based on 5-year-old news.

The USAF squadron at Hurlburt isn't at IOC yet. It is technically a line spec ops squadron, but it doesn't have enough aircraft to do anything real yet.

 

[HeyJoe]

USAF Ospreys

From USAF release:

The CV-22 is an Air Force-modified version of the U.S. Marine Corps MV-22 Osprey. The first two Air Force test aircraft were delivered to Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., in September 2000, for flight testing. The 58th Special Operations Wing at Kirtland AFB, N.M., began CV-22 aircrew training with the first two production aircraft in August 2006.

The first operational CV-22 was delivered to Air Force Special Operations Command's 1st Special Operations Wing at Hurlburt Field, Fla., January 2007. Initial operating capability is scheduled for 2009 with a total of 50 CV-22 aircraft delivered by 2017.

Latest news from "the Riveria" announcing arrival of fourth CV-22 at Hurlbert in October.

 

[HeyJoe]

Commentary by senior USMC Osprey pilot

Col Glenn Waters felt compelled to write about his opinion of the MV-22 Osprey in The Truth about the Osprey

 

[HeyJoe]

More Osprey news

Recent article on Osprey performance in theatre

 

[ftrooper]

From what I've seen here, it probably is faster into the zone than helicopters. It just slows at a more gradual pace, so they begin to slow down earlier. That being said, it's still entering that zone over twice as fast. Leaving the zone it is far faster, accelerating to speeds no helicopter can reach in a very short time. Not a helo guy, but just comparing it to the -60s/ H1s/ 46s/ 53Ds and Es out here, the Osprey is smoking them.

 

[Uncle Fester]

I liked the comment in that NC Times article about how the Marines "would carefully plan initial Osprey missions to avoid its flying into areas where ground fire would not be unexpected.". As opposed to all the other Marines that deliberately plan to fly into them?

 

[sodajones]

Earlier this year I got to ride in one as a "simulated casualty" it was quite an experience. This thing is definitely fast, though I didn't get to experience riding it for long, it just took us up, switched to airplane mode, circled around, and then went back to helicopter mode and dropped us off back into the chigger and tick infested grass I've learned to hate, so that others could practice. It's pretty cool to watch these things, I see them fly over the bay all the time.

My experience is short, but I certainly like them from what I've seen. I don't think they deserve all the crap they get.

 

[HeyJoe]

Ospreys in action

This article includes footage of Ospreys in Iraq...enjoy!

 

[skidkid]

From an escort perspective they are slower into a zone than a Prog/Shitter. Much slower to set down than a Phrog maybe not a Shitter. The Osprey is much much much much faster out of the zone-Im up they see me Im gone kinda thing.

 

[HeyJoe]

This link has some pretty decent Osprey footage. In it I was able to see this thing do all manner of things I have been told it cannot do. Interesting.

Nice find! Definitely worth watching....someone did a nice job compiling all that footage!

 

[phrogdriver]

On the into the zone thing, I can kind of see what people talk about when they say it looks slower. However, the speeds and altitudes on short final are pretty much the same ones helo pilots everywhere fly. I think the perceived difference is that the deceleration occurs in a steady fashion (e.g. 5 knots/second, to make up a number), vice an "accelerating" deceleration (i.e. the rate of decel increases greatly as the pilot flares at the bottom). Up until short final, the Osprey's speeds are obviously much greater, but you still have to slow down sometime. As they said in "Airplane," "It's just something you have to do...when you land."

 

[HeloBubba]

Nice find! Definitely worth watching....someone did a nice job compiling all that footage!

This makes me SO want to take a ride in one of these.

 

[HeyJoe]

Meanwhile, back at the ranch....

The Osprey nacelle fire issue has been investigated and the fix is underway necessitating restrictions back home untile mods are complete.

 

[ChuckMK23]

V-22 Flying Scout/Observation Missions in Iraq

U.S. Marine Corps MV-22s in Iraq in the last couple of weeks have begun flying aerial scout missions in support of raids in Al Anbar province. That’s according to the Marine commandant, Gen. James Conway, who met with reporters at the Pentagon yesterday. While raids have become less frequent, he said, the Ospreys are demonstrating one of their advantages. "The 22 is very quiet," Conway said. "It's an added advantage when it comes to getting troops on the ground without hearing a helicopter coming from a couple miles out." He said the Bell Helicopter/Boeing aircraft of Marine Medium Tilt-Rotor Sqdn. 263 (VMM-263) have maintenance rates "about where we would want them to be." The Osprey's mission profile "is precisely that of the aircraft it's replacing"--the Boeing CH-46E and the Sikorsky Aircraft CH-53D. "They're doing everything those airplanes do, except they're doing it three times faster."

Also...

Video of V-22 in Iraq