| The MV-22 Osprey testing began at the greater | | | | flying a desk for G-2 Ops at IIIMEF. We sure |
| Wilmington airport in Delaware over twenty | | | | could have used it for that Rawanda Op. It |
| years ago; where the Del. air Nat. Guard | | | | works and will work better. |
| holds their monthly drills. This was where it | | | | |
| had its first crash. Testing was then | | | | Lots more range than 53 or 46 and lots more |
| transferred to another location. All the | | | | versatile than c-130 or previously mentioned |
| marines and marine pilots I have spoken with, | | | | helos. Again, once the bugs are worked out. |
| feel that they would rather fly it than a fix | | | | Well obviously they have/are being worked |
| wing cargo plan. | | | | out. The USMC is now replacing there Sea |
| | | | Knights with them. It's a great new |
| It's a great aircraft with an unrealized | | | | capability. As I said previously it has taken |
| potential. You have a butt load of cashbook | | | | over twenty years to get to this point. This |
| jocks, soon to be without jobs, in a hot | | | | shows a future need for this type of |
| hybrid rotor-fixed wing that are only | | | | aircraft. |
| comfortable at 1-3000 ft and 100 or so kts. | | | | |
| Flying the wings at 45 deg and 120kts just | | | | I'm sure after all this time, if not already, |
| isn't what the designers had planned, or what | | | | the bugs left can be worked out. We know that |
| the grunts want. The plane will go 300+ if | | | | there would be no use for them while in plane |
| you flat the wings, but the fixed wing jocks | | | | mode. You could at least put the guns on the |
| in transition aren't the majority, nor will | | | | side and fix to front of the engines to give |
| they have the input when the TTPs get ironed | | | | some kind of suppressive fire, instead of |
| out. I say have one of each in the cockpit | | | | nothing. last thing is what difference does |
| (fixed and rotor jocks) and let them do what | | | | is it make not having a chin mounted gun, the |
| they do best during the three phases of | | | | thing already costs too much you might as |
| sortie. | | | | well give it a gun or it will be defenseless |
| | | | and most likely be shot down. |
| Some of the marine pilots have logged 9,000 | | | | |
| hours on fixed wing aircraft and as I see it, | | | | It was one of the unfortunate ones in Dec |
| the MV-22 OSPREY is an Accident looking for a | | | | 2000 at one of the Osprey crashes. At that |
| place to happen! The V-22 osprey might not be | | | | time I felt it was best to "DUMP" the osprey. |
| as safe as the DC-3 but is the safe DC-3 | | | | But after seeing much work being done on this |
| capable of keeping up with today's military | | | | aircraft and learning how it truly does fly, |
| requirements? | | | | I now think we must push forward and |
| | | | transudation to this aircraft. If you look |
| As with every other aviation platform it will | | | | back at other aircraft you too will see that |
| take time to over come the bugs, heck look | | | | there will believes lost. Nobody wants that |
| how long it took the 53 to work right and | | | | but how much longer can the USMC depend on |
| then hunted by substandard parts etc. Oh and | | | | the 46 and 53. Yes, there may in fact be more |
| let's not forget the harrier... Gees-o-petes | | | | deaths. But that's life just like driving |
| the happiest Harrier Pilot I ever met were | | | | down the street you could always be killed. |