Air-Attack.com - V-22 Osprey

The V-22 is a tiltrotor aircraft, taking off and landing like a helicopter, but, once airborne, its engine nacelles can be rotated to convert the aircraft to a turboprop airplane capable of high-speed, high-altitude flight.
It can carry 24 combat troops, or up to 20,000 pounds of internal or external cargo, at twice the speed of a helicopter. It includes cross-coupled transmissions so either engine can power the rotors if one engine fails.
The rotors can fold and the wing rotate so the aircraft can be stored aboard an aircraft carrier.

Boeing is responsible for the fuselage and all subsystems, digital avionics, and fly-by-wire flight-control systems. Boeing partner Bell Helicopter Textron, Inc., is responsible for the wing, transmissions, empennage, rotor systems, and engine installation.

The first of four LRIP (low-rate initial production) MV-22 models completed Operation/Evaluation in August 2000. Following an aircrash in December 2000, a number of upgrades are taking place including redesign of hydraulics and wiring in the nacelles and improved flight control software. A two-year flight test program began in May 2002 to be followed by a second OP/EVAL phase. Initial Operating capability is planned for 2005. USAF CV-22 resumed flight testing in September 2002. 360 MV-22 have been ordered and 50 CV-22 (to replace MH-53J Pave Low helicopters).

The Osprey has two, large, three-bladed rotors that rotate in opposite directions and produce lift. Because the rotors turn in opposite directions, there is no need for a tail rotor to provide stability as in a helicopter. The wing tilts the rotors between airplane and helicopter modes and generates lift in the airplane mode. The Osprey can convert smoothly from helicopter mode to airplane mode in as few as 12 seconds.

The major advantages of the Osprey over a helicopter are:

Longer range - The Osprey can fly from 270 to 580 miles (453 to 933 km).
Higher speed - The Osprey's top speed is 315 mph (507 kph), which is twice as fast as a helicopter's top speed.
Increased cargo capacity - The Osprey can carry 20,000 pounds (4,536 kg) of cargo or 24 troops.

The advantage of the Osprey over an airplane is that it can take off, hover and land like a helicopter. This makes is more versatile than an airplane for such missions as moving troops to remote areas, especially those without landing strips, or conducting long-range rescue operations at sea.

Recent developments:

Mar. 30th, 2008 | Bell Boeing signs $10.4bn deal for 167 V-22s

FORT WORTH, TEXAS (March 28, 2008) -- Bell Helicopter, a Textron Inc. (NYSE: TXT) company, announced today that the U.S. Department of Defense has awarded a $10.4 billion, five-year Multi-Year Procurement contract for 167 V-22 Osprey tiltrotor aircraft to a strategic alliance between Bell Helicopter and The Boeing Company. "This is a significant step in the V-22 program," said Dick Millman, Bell Helicopter president and CEO. "This five-year contract will allow us to plan much further out as w...
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Feb. 21st, 2008 | BAE Systems Installs Defensive Weapon System on CV-22 Osprey for Testing

JOHNSON CITY, New York — BAE Systems has installed a remotely operated defensive weapon system aboard a U.S. Air Force CV-22 Osprey in preparation for ground-fire and flight testing. The hardware installation and ensuing fit-check, completed in January, follow the company’s recent selection to develop an interim all-quadrant defensive weapon system for the Osprey. The U. S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM), which awarded the contract to integrate and test the weapon mission kit...
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Oct. 3rd, 2007 | BAE Systems Launches New V-22 Defensive Weapon System

QUANTICO, Virginia — BAE Systems today unveiled its new remotely operated turreted weapon system, the Remote Guardian System (RGS), designed to provide 360 degrees of suppressive fire for the Marine Corps V-22 tilt-rotor aircraft. In recent stability testing at Camp Ripley, Minnesota, the RGS, with a GAU-17, 7.62 mm mini-gun, was mounted on a moving land vehicle test platform. The testers demonstrated the weapon’s accuracy, based on the three-axis stability and control that is the...
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Oct. 2nd, 2007 | CV-22 team concludes developmental testing

EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- The CV-22 Integrated Test Team marked the conclusion of developmental flight testing of the CV-22 Osprey during a farewell event at the 418th Flight Test Squadron here, Sept. 26. The CV-22 program is now graduating from developmental testing to the operational test phase, which will be held at Hurlburt Field, Fla., in October. In the operational test phase, the users will evaluate the aircraft and systems in a mission-representative environment over the n...
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Oct. 1st, 2007 | Rolls-Royce awarded $700 million contract for V-22 engines

Rolls-Royce has signed a $700 million production contract with the Naval Air Systems Command to produce 370 AE 1107C-Liberty engines for the US Marine Corps' MV-22 and the US Air Force's CV-22 Osprey tiltrotor aircraft. The five-year contract coincides with the first combat deployment of MV-22 aircraft that took place this month. The production agreement includes engines for 148 aircraft plus 74 spares, for deliveries going forward to 2013. Dennis Jarvi, President Defense North America ...
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V-22 Osprey Related News »

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Powerplant • Two Allison T406-AD-400 engines • Max and Intermediate, shp (kW) - 6,150 (4,586)	(Click to expand)
Rotor System • Blades per hub - 3 • Construction - graphite/fiberglass • Tip speed, fps (mps) - 661.90 (201.75) • Diameter, ft (m) - 38.00 (11.58) • Blade area, ft2 (m2) - 261.52 (24.30) • Disc area, ft2, (m2) - 2,268.00 (210.70) • Blade folding - automatic, powered
Transmissions • Takeoff [USMC], shp (kW) - 4,570 (3,408) • Takeoff [USN], shp (kW) - 4,970 (3,706) • Takeoff [USAF], shp (kW) - 4,970 (3,706) • 1 engine inoperative, shp (kW) 5,920 (4,415)
Performance • Max speed, SL, kts (km/h) - 275 (510) • Vert rate of climb, SL, fpm (m/m) 1,090 (332) • Max rate of climb, SL, fpm (m/m) 2,320 (707) • Service ceiling, ft (m) - 26,000 (7,925) • Service ceiling, one engine inop, ft (m) 11,300 (3,444) • HOGE, ft (m) - 14,200 (4,328)	Range • Amphib assault, nm (km) - 515 (954) • Max, self-deployment, nm (km) 2,100 (3,892) Crew • Cockpit - crew seats - 2 • Cabin - troop seats/litters - 24/12
Dimensions - Internal • Length, max, ft (m) - 24.17 (7.37) • Width, max, ft (m) - 5.92 (1.80) • Height, max, ft (m) - 6.00 (1.83) Weights • Empty, lbs (kg) - 33,140 (15,032) • Takeoff, vertical, max, lbs - 47,500 (21,546) • Takeoff, short running, max, lbs (kg) 55,000 (24,948) • Takeoff, self-deploy mission, lbs (kg) 60,500 (27,443) • Cargo hook, single, lbs (kg) 10,000 (4,536) • Cargo hook, dual, lbs (kg) - 15,000 (9,221)	Dimensions - External • Length, fuselage, ft (m) - 57.33 (17.48) • Width, rotors turning, ft (m) - 83.33 (25.55) • Length, stowed, ft (m) - 62.58 (19.08) • Width, stowed, ft (m) - 18.42 (5.61) • Width, horizontal stabilizer, ft (m) - 18.42 (5.61) • Height, nacelles fully vertical, ft (m) - 21.76 (6.63) • Height, vertical stabilizer, ft (m) - 17.65 (5.38) Fuel Capacity • Sponsons, gals (liters) - 1,228 (4,649) • Wings, gals (liters) - 787 (2,979) • Aux, self-deployment, gals (liters) - 2,436 (9,221)

V-22 Osprey Videos | 166 Videos Available!
First 5 videos, click to go to the V-22 Osprey video gallery:

This page was last updated on: 2006-02-01

V-22 Osprey

V-22 Osprey Videos | 166 Videos Available! First 5 videos, click to go to the V-22 Osprey video gallery:

V-22 Osprey Videos | 166 Videos Available!
First 5 videos, click to go to the V-22 Osprey video gallery: