U.S. to fly controversial Osprey in combat

mpenguin1

mpenguin1

Well-Known Member
U.S. to fly controversial Osprey in combat

SAN DIEGO, Dec. 28 (UPI) -- The U.S. Pentagon is forging ahead with plans to get the MV-22 helicopter-aircraft into combat, despite a controversial and deadly performance history.

The Boeing Co. and the Bell Helicopter's aircraft takes off vertically as a helicopter and the engines rotate forward to fly as a turboprop plane. The craft is used primarily as a troop transporter.

But six years ago, two crashes of the Osprey killed 19 Marines, and the project was shelved.

Now, the Pentagon has ordered 458 of the $70 million craft, most of which will go the Marines Corps, although those destined for the Air Force will cost $89 million each because of enhanced electronic combat features, the Escondido (Calif.) North County Times reported.

Marine Lt. Col. Rick A. Pagel, the station operations officer at Miramar Air Base in San Diego, said he expected the Osprey would be deployed to Iraq in 2007, although it was ultimately up the secretary of Defense.
 
I have friend that I went to Aircrew school with and he's an instructor in the MV-22. He said he used to be so scared to fly in the thing, but after they were grounded and the cuprits were identified and fixed he's had no problems and is enjoying it. Though we did SAR for them on the Saipan and the Bataan. Those things a scary coming in to land witht hose huge blades. The AF is flying them out of Kirtland AFB in ABQ. The Marines are ready to stand up the first deployable unit. Their training squadron is at Cherry Point, NC.
 
Maybe the Air Force will look to cut its budget somewhere other than the F22/F35.

Cut that beeyatch and let the Marines deal with it. Get us some more C17s and the above!
 
I see em taking off from the Bell labs at GKY sometimes, it's pretty cool!! I think the civilian version is what they're working on here.
 
frog_flyer said:
Maybe the Air Force will look to cut its budget somewhere other than the F22/F35.

Cut that beeyatch and let the Marines deal with it. Get us some more C17s and the above!
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Yeah Baby! More Globemaster III's!!

458 seems like an awful lot of aircraft no matter what.
 
So the AF is getting rid of two years worth of LTs, a number of Majors and Captains, as well as another enlisted force shaping later this spring. . . so they can pay off the debt to Boeing for some Osprey? Sad.
 
surreal1221 said:
So the AF is getting rid of two years worth of LTs, a number of Majors and Captains, as well as another enlisted force shaping later this spring. . . so they can pay off the debt to Boeing for some Osprey? Sad.
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I support your argument, but I think you need to be looking at Lockheed instead of Boeing.

Seriously though, F' the V-22. Let the army and marines F with them.
 
frog_flyer said:
Seriously though, F' the V-22. Let the army and marines F with them.
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The reason the Air Force V-22's have 'enhanced electronic combat features' is because they are going to be used for combat search and rescue. So, if there is a chance you will be flying a JSF or F-22 in the future, you should be happy. If you ever get shot down, it would be nice to know that they are not coming to get you in a Vietnam era helicopter.
 
ananoman said:
The reason the Air Force V-22's have 'enhanced electronic combat features' is because they are going to be used for combat search and rescue. So, if there is a chance you will be flying a JSF or F-22 in the future, you should be happy. If you ever get shot down, it would be nice to know that they are not coming to get you in a Vietnam era helicopter.
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Hey there aint nothing wrong with Vietnam era helos!:mad: I should show you the logbooks of the aircraft I flew in and show you how much of a lickin' they took and continued flying. You could throw a stone at a blackhawk to bring it down.:buck:
 
H46Bubba said:
Hey there aint nothing wrong with Vietnam era helos!:mad: I should show you the logbooks of the aircraft I flew in and show you hom much of a lickin' they took and continued flying. You could throw a stone at a blackhawk to bring it down.:buck:
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I'd heard one dude farted out to the side of one and the yaw it caused snapped the tail rotor off and the helo spun and crashed.

.. I think it was in Blackhawk Down, but leave it to Hollywood to make something up like RPGs.....
 
H46Bubba said:
Hey there aint nothing wrong with Vietnam era helos!:mad: I should show you the logbooks of the aircraft I flew in and show you hom much of a lickin' they took and continued flying. You could throw a stone at a blackhawk to bring it down.:buck:
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:yeahthat:

Most Chinooks I have flown started out as A - models.
 
I have a good friend slotted to fly the Osprey.

I knew one of those 19 Marines killed some years ago.

Remember, just because an aircraft has a bloody start doesn't mean that it's of no use. Does anybody remember the wire chaffing problem in the F-16 (those of you old enough to, that is . . . )? How about the early problems with the Harrier?

If we'd "Cut and Run" at the first sign of problems then, where would we be now? We're not talking about Cessna here, these are killing machines - there are some risks. If you can't deal with that, you probably won't have to worry about flying in my beloved Corps.
 
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