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V-22 Osprey : The Helicopter that flies like an airplane
Posted on November 7, 2015 by N.R.P
INTRODUCTION
Is it a helicopter ? Is it an airplane ? No, it’s both! With the ability to convert into a rotary wing helicopter for takeoff and landing and the ability to turn into a fixed wing aircraft for sustained flight, the V-22 Osprey is definitely the most unique aircraft in service. Since World War II, several countries have experimented with weird looking contraptions which aim to stand out from the crowd with their looks and performance, but almost none of them progressed beyond prototype stage. However, the Osprey managed to go beyond the prototype stage, entered mass production as well and is now serving with distinction. This article will examine the origins, features, performance and the future of the V-22 Osprey.
ORIGINS
It all began with the Iranian hostage rescue crisis, when the failed Operation Eagle Claw created a need for a special purpose aircraft with a large payload and extremely short take-off and landing (STOL) capabilities. The USAF experimented with a modified C-130 fitted with rocket engines which would enable it to takeoff from a strip of runway which was barely around 100 m. However, this experimental concept which would participate in Operation Credible Sport was terminated after the modified C-130 crashed.
The extremely short takeoff variant of the C-130 which was supposed to be used for Operation Credible Sport
This necessitated the development of a special transport aircraft which could take off vertically and carry a significant payload while flying at the speed of a C-130. Helicopters were just too slow and even the most capable short take-off aircraft needed a few hundred meters of runway. So Boeing and Bell, two American aerospace giants, came together to create a new aircraft to fulfill the US Department of Defense Joint-services requirement. The Bell XV-15 prototype was to be used as a base for the design of this new aircraft, which was to be a tiltrotor. A tiltrotor is an aircraft which can take-off vertically like a helicopter and then til its rotors and cruise like a conventional aircraft. This aircraft would give them the a decent payload and vertical take-off & landing (VTOL) capability of the CH-53/CH-46 helicopters and the cruise speed of a C-130 Hercules.
The XV-15 was a technology demonstrator and never entered production.
A C-130 refuels a CH-53. The Osprey combined the abilities of both these aircraft into one airframe.
The first Osprey was rolled out in 1988 and started flight trials in 1989 in both helicopter and airplane mode. The next part of the trials was held on board the Landing Helicopter Dock (LHD) USS Wasp in 1990.However, 2 prototypes crashed after this in 1991 and 1992, fueling the criticism towards the program and multiple efforts were made to cancel it entirely. The Osprey managed to survive this phase of technical defects and the necessary modifications were made by Bell and Boeing to redesign the aircraft, improve its performance and rectify its faults. The newer models, designated as V-22B, performed better and extensive trials were carried out till 1997, when the first low-rate initial production (LRIP) was started.
The prototype XV-22
Early concept drawing shows the requirement for compact storage
Early operational concept of the Osprey in action. Note the gun turrets under the nose.
Testing continued with these LRIP aircraft until 2000, when unfortunately 2 Ospreys crashed. This was investigated and major modifications were made in its software and hardware which made it safer to fly. One of the main reasons for these many accidents was the unique design which had never been produced or heavily tested before. In 2005, the Osprey completed its final operational evaluations and was approved for full-scale production. The requirements were USMC – 360 aircraft, US Navy – 48 and the USAF – 50, priced at 110 million $ apiece including developmental costs.
V-22 concept from the mid-1980s
V-22A Osprey, with folded rotors, rotating its wings 90° into the shipboard stowage position, USS Wasp (LHD-1), 5 Dec 1990.
Posted on November 7, 2015 by N.R.P
INTRODUCTION
Is it a helicopter ? Is it an airplane ? No, it’s both! With the ability to convert into a rotary wing helicopter for takeoff and landing and the ability to turn into a fixed wing aircraft for sustained flight, the V-22 Osprey is definitely the most unique aircraft in service. Since World War II, several countries have experimented with weird looking contraptions which aim to stand out from the crowd with their looks and performance, but almost none of them progressed beyond prototype stage. However, the Osprey managed to go beyond the prototype stage, entered mass production as well and is now serving with distinction. This article will examine the origins, features, performance and the future of the V-22 Osprey.
ORIGINS
It all began with the Iranian hostage rescue crisis, when the failed Operation Eagle Claw created a need for a special purpose aircraft with a large payload and extremely short take-off and landing (STOL) capabilities. The USAF experimented with a modified C-130 fitted with rocket engines which would enable it to takeoff from a strip of runway which was barely around 100 m. However, this experimental concept which would participate in Operation Credible Sport was terminated after the modified C-130 crashed.
The extremely short takeoff variant of the C-130 which was supposed to be used for Operation Credible Sport
This necessitated the development of a special transport aircraft which could take off vertically and carry a significant payload while flying at the speed of a C-130. Helicopters were just too slow and even the most capable short take-off aircraft needed a few hundred meters of runway. So Boeing and Bell, two American aerospace giants, came together to create a new aircraft to fulfill the US Department of Defense Joint-services requirement. The Bell XV-15 prototype was to be used as a base for the design of this new aircraft, which was to be a tiltrotor. A tiltrotor is an aircraft which can take-off vertically like a helicopter and then til its rotors and cruise like a conventional aircraft. This aircraft would give them the a decent payload and vertical take-off & landing (VTOL) capability of the CH-53/CH-46 helicopters and the cruise speed of a C-130 Hercules.
The XV-15 was a technology demonstrator and never entered production.
A C-130 refuels a CH-53. The Osprey combined the abilities of both these aircraft into one airframe.
The first Osprey was rolled out in 1988 and started flight trials in 1989 in both helicopter and airplane mode. The next part of the trials was held on board the Landing Helicopter Dock (LHD) USS Wasp in 1990.However, 2 prototypes crashed after this in 1991 and 1992, fueling the criticism towards the program and multiple efforts were made to cancel it entirely. The Osprey managed to survive this phase of technical defects and the necessary modifications were made by Bell and Boeing to redesign the aircraft, improve its performance and rectify its faults. The newer models, designated as V-22B, performed better and extensive trials were carried out till 1997, when the first low-rate initial production (LRIP) was started.
The prototype XV-22
Early concept drawing shows the requirement for compact storage
Early operational concept of the Osprey in action. Note the gun turrets under the nose.
Testing continued with these LRIP aircraft until 2000, when unfortunately 2 Ospreys crashed. This was investigated and major modifications were made in its software and hardware which made it safer to fly. One of the main reasons for these many accidents was the unique design which had never been produced or heavily tested before. In 2005, the Osprey completed its final operational evaluations and was approved for full-scale production. The requirements were USMC – 360 aircraft, US Navy – 48 and the USAF – 50, priced at 110 million $ apiece including developmental costs.
V-22 concept from the mid-1980s
V-22A Osprey, with folded rotors, rotating its wings 90° into the shipboard stowage position, USS Wasp (LHD-1), 5 Dec 1990.
