Osprey doing well in Iraq

Making a success of the Osprey says a lot about the persistence of the Marines Corps.

Osprey in Iraq: No mishaps | Crave : The gadget blog:
"The Pentagon hasn't been saying much about what's up with the Osprey in Iraq. That could be because it doesn't want to jinx what seems to be, after the first three months of deployment, a success story for the long-controversial tilt-rotor aircraft.
. . .
Since arriving at Al Asad Airbase last fall, the 10 MV-22 Ospreys of Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 263 have accumulated more than 1,600 hours of flight time, carrying hundreds of passengers--from ground troops to VIPs--and thousands of pounds of cargo "without a mishap or even a close call," according to a story last week in The Dallas Morning News. That's no small feat for an aircraft that critics cited time and time again for its checkered history of fatal crashes
. . .
From day to day, anywhere from 50 percent to 100 percent of the Ospreys are ready to fly, the paper reported. That could be a sign of genuine and worrisome mechanical problems, or maybe just overly protective policies that keep airworthy Ospreys grounded."

The Osprey does permit the Marines to respond rapidly to places much further away. (NOTE: this link may misstate the range - some sources cite 200Nmi for the USMC version and 500Nmi for the Air Force version with extra fuel tanks, but there are other sources for the 2,100Nmi figure.)

V-22 Osprey Aircraft:
"The CH-46, which the Osprey is set to replace, has a range of 160 nautical miles, while the Osprey’s range is 2,100 with one refueling. This increased range will get Marines to the battlefield faster and from further away."

V-22 Osprey Tilt-Rotor Aircraft:
"The V-22 has the ability to carry considerably larger payloads much greater distances than the CH-46 helicopter that it will replace. The V-22 could carry three times the payload, or fly five times the range of the CH- 46 (4,000 lbs and 132 nmi for the CH-46 respectively). While it will take off and land vertically like a helicopter, the V-22 will fly twice as fast. While the V-22's range, speed and payload capabilities are most frequently touted, the Bell/Boeing contractor team reports the Osprey exhibits the following survivability traits: The V-22 is up to 21 times less vulnerable to small arms fire than current helicopters, it is 75 percent quieter than helicopters, and it is the only U.S. tactical transport aircraft with designed-in radiological, biological, and chemical warfare protection."

You expect teething problems with a first of it's kind machine, but 25 years in development is a bit much.

V-22 Osprey Tilt-Rotor Aircraft:
"Begun in FY1982 by the Army and now funded in part by the Air Force, the V-22 has been primarily a Marine Corps program funded by the Navy Department. The aircraft is produced by Bell Helicopter Textron and Boeing Helicopters, with engines produced by Rolls-Royce/Allison. Flight testing and operational evaluation of pre-production V-22s began in early 1997, with procurement of production aircraft approved in April 1997."

VTOL - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia:

"The V-22 Osprey is the world's first production tiltrotor aircraft, with one three-bladed proprotor, turboprop engine, and transmission nacelle mounted on each wingtip. The Osprey is a joint service, multimission, military tiltrotor aircraft with both a vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) and short takeoff and landing capability (STOL). It is designed to perform missions like a conventional helicopter with the long-range, high-speed cruise performance of a turboprop aircraft. The FAA classifies the Osprey as a model of powered lift aircraft."