Over half a million flight hours. Osprey Platform Support Contract

Bell Textron Inc., a subsidiary of Textron Inc., and Boeing received a $ 23 million contract from Command aviation systems of the United States Navy (Naval Air Systems Command, NAVAIR). The new contract is aimed at supporting flight tests of the American V-22 tiltrotor.

The allocated funds will go to local support, to the engineering and technical analysis of V-22 flight tests for the Navy and the US Air Force, as well as for the Japanese government. Contract work will be conducted at Pataxent River, Maryland Naval Airfield (50%), Fort Worth, Texas (25%), and Philadelphia, PA (25%). The test is expected to end in December 2020, reports Defense Blog.

The contract summarizes the purchase of equipment for the Navy ($ 8.282.783; 71%), the Air Force ($ 1.673.351; 15%) and the Japanese government ($ 1.636.856; 14%).

Boeing informs that the Osprey platform is a multi-purpose combat tiltrotor designed by combining the characteristics of a helicopter (taking off vertically) with the speed and range of a fixed-wing aircraft. It is able to take off, land and hover like a helicopter. In the air, he can turn into a turboprop aircraft that can fly at high speeds at high altitudes. This kind of combination provides outstanding opportunities for reaching targets, which allows the V-22 to fill an empty operating niche and get key differences from any other aircraft.

In turn, the company Bell Textron noted that the V-22 Osprey is the only production airplane in the world with an inclined rotor.

V-22 was tested in combat conditions, participated in operations around the world. Command requires the use of V-22 in cases where it is necessary to solve the most complex tasks under the most difficult operating conditions. V-22 capabilities change the situation on the battlefield and beyond.

Park V-22 has already crossed the milestone of 500.000 flight hours. Over 375 Osprey flew up to the sky, including the CV-22 (US Air Force) and MV-22 (US Marine Corps) models.

Comments

[Sergey39]

Conclusion: Osprey is a good tool for pumping money from the budget.

[novobranets]

I think, Sergey, you are wrong. Not a single army in the world is a profitable enterprise; all of them consume budget funds. With regards to Osprey, I think there is a future for him, the tiltrotor has a number of advantages over a helicopter. The technique is new, and childhood diseases are quite normal. It is a pity that we are not engaged in their development, maybe for a long time the Americans would have swallowed dust from behind.

[knn54]

Isn't it too much 10 years to eliminate children's mistakes? But they started doing konvertoplanov thirty years ago. The price / quality ratio is very far from the desired. The Japanese were barely persuaded to obtain permission to fly over their territory.
"The V-22 looks great until it's idle for repairs."
American pilot, Senator John McCain.

[Gardamir]

Hack and predictor Aviator

the future for konvertoplanami, but we, as in the case of drones, will catch up.

[Professor]

Quote: Sergey39

Conclusion: Osprey is a good tool for pumping money from the budget.

The army (any army) is a good tool for pumping money out of the budget.

[Genry]

Quote: professor

The army (any army) is a good tool for pumping money out of the budget.

"... But don't abuse it!"

[The leader of the Redskins]

Interesting photo selected for the article. Personally, I have never come across such a "folded" angle. Straight "transformer" ...

[Bongo]

Quote: Leader of the Redskins

Interesting photo selected for the article. Personally, I have never come across such a "folded" angle. Straight "transformer" ...

The picture shows a CH-53 Sea Stallion helicopter and a US-MVP 22 Osprey convertible plane at the Jacksonville Air Force Base in Florida.

[yfast]

And how safe is the landing process with gusty crosswind?

[Genry]

Wind shear is a problem for all aviation.

[prior]

Well, why is security and safety this pepelats does not cause me any optimism ?!

[Stone]

Probably because he is American, not domestic.

[Bongo]

Quote: prior

Well, why is security and safety this pepelats does not cause me any optimism ?!

In terms of Osprey's flight safety, the Americans have made considerable progress, the peak of accidents and disasters has passed. With regard to security, this "pepelats" in practice demonstrated not bad survivability. So in December 2013, three CV-22Bs, involved in the evacuation of American citizens in South Sudan, were damaged as a result of shelling from the ground from small arms. Subsequently, after returning, 119 holes were counted in their hull, which led to damage to the fuel and hydraulic systems. Despite the damage, the tiltrotors managed to continue a controlled flight, cover a distance of 800 km and land at the Entebbe airfield in Uganda.
Based on the results of use in the war zone, the High Command of the United States Air Force demanded that the CV-22B be finalized. In 2015, ballistic protection kits consisting of 16 ceramic-metal plates were installed on the first 22 CV-66B of the United States Air Force. The mass of armor was 360 kg. In view of the reduction in payload and the reduction in flight range, it was decided to equip only the Osprey directly participating in the hostilities. The fall in flight data that occurred after the installation of the armor was compensated by increasing the power of the AE-1107C engines by 17%.

[voyaka uh]

Boeing in this area is running out Lockheed. They are on the way cheaper Valor V-280 tiltrotor. With simpler mechanical design.
And Boeing has to lobby Osprey hard to extend his service.

[Genry]

Quote: voyaka uh

Valor V-280. With simpler mechanical design.

It has not yet been decided to fold it like a V-22 Osprey.