TurbosaurusRex said:
The only Navy pilots in the program are the experienced pilots doing developmental testing at Pax River or operational testing at New River. No Navy SNAs.
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V-22 enters full production
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The only Navy pilots in the program are the experienced pilots doing developmental testing at Pax River or operational testing at New River. No Navy SNAs.
I don't have the current inventory number of 46s, but it's less than 360, so even with the 53Ds gone too, there will be a net increase in medium-lift assaults.
All 46Es will be replaced, but I don't know what will happen with the CH-46D station SAR in Cherry Point. I suppose the mission will eventually be outsourced, as with Iwakuni and Beaufort.
All 46Es will be replaced, but I don't know what will happen with the CH-46D station SAR in Cherry Point. I suppose the mission will eventually be outsourced, as with Iwakuni and Beaufort.
Marines getting converted SH-60 B/F's (sans ASW gear, aircraft will be UH-60 designation..UH-60B, UH-60F to use for station SAR. Second option will be USCG will assume mission/role.
Grant
Registered User
I'm definitely not "in the know" but from what I've heard from a reliable source is that the safety issues with the Osprey was no fault of the aircraft itself. If you want to blame someone, blame the DoD beancounters. A good friend of my parents is a test pilot for Bell/Textron and has been in the V-22 program since day-one. I had a conversation with him regarding the Osprey a while back, and he claims that the initial plan was to leave out several safety features involved during the transition from rotary wing style to fixed wing style flight, in order to save $$$. But after numerous crashes, the DoD gave the go-ahead to the missing systems. Granted he didnt share details and talked in very vague, broad terms in regards to how it worked mechanically. According to him, when its "very easy to fly" when the safety features are included on the aircraft.
Hopefully he's right, for the sake of future NA's, aircrew, and passengers.
Marines are getting SH-60s?
To replace Pedro, yeah, that's the plan I heard.
gyrene
Marine SNA
i thought the Marines were getting rid of the SAR mission out of beaufort altogether?
and with regards to the 360 MV-22s:
there are 16 CH-46 squadrons and 3/4 53D squadrons to replace.
say 20-30 MV-22s go to the RAG you're left with around 17 ospreys in ~20squadrons. however, i'd bet some are kept boxed up to serve as replacements for damaged or destroyed airframes.
is that typical of a HMM or HMH in terms of aircraft?
By my estimate it will be at least 8 years before the full 360 V-22s are in the fleet so we will be seeing 46s for a while yet...there are only 3/4 53 squadrons getting replaced?
Phrog,
There is a lot of bad gouge floating around about the Osprey, how much educating (safety, pros/cons, etc) is being done with current 46 & 53 drivers who in the future will be transitioning to the Osprey? I ask because recently I was talking with a good buddy of mine, 1000+ hrs & 2 tours in Iraq in the 46, who said he would resign before he flew the Osprey.
S/F
What do you mean "By my estimate"? Can you estimate what peoples chances of getting jets are too?
The 53 Squadrons you're referring to are Delta (CH-53D) that are only in Hawaii, NOT CH-53E which is the only Heavy Lift in the USMC
How much more educating can you do? Every kind of press imaginable has flown in it, as have the Commandant and SgtMaj of the Marine Corps, SecAF, multiple undersecretaries of defense, etc, etc. Ospreys fly over New River every day, including a 16 aircraft flyby and the NR Airshow.
I'm sure there were people in the 1920s still refusing to give up their horses because the automobile was just too dangerous. Those people eventually realized they couldn't travel as far or as fast as their neighbors, or else time just passed them by and forgot about them. Same deal here.
No matter what the V-22 does, it will never satisfy the determined critics. If some don't want to fly it, fine. When they're flying ash-and-trash at some obscure outpost at 90 KIAS, they can still retain their sense of moral indignation.
Hi guys-FNG here. That quote really resonates with me, as my day job is to inform folks about test results in an objective way. Pretty frustrating when people refuse to see.
But I think the recent OPEVAL II tells the whole story about the V-22. Yeah, there are things to fix--there always are and there's never enough money to fix them all. But we're talking about things like a weak heating/cooling system and uncomfortable seats for the Grunts, ferchrissake!
Go to New River if you can and speak to 'most anybody from VMX-22, VMMT-204 or VMM-263. See how the users like the Osprey.
TC