What do you think of Time Magazine's article about the V-22 Osprey?

Question

I knew I was right about that thing, I would refuse to fly in that if I were in the military. What a piece of garbage.

Answer 1

These are the same people who claimed that the following weapons systems were 'junk:'

The M1 series tank
The M2 Bradley
The AH 64 helicopter
The F117
etc.

With their track record we can assume that weapon system that Time says in junk will turn out to be the best in the world.

Answer 2

The V-22 has been in development since about 1981.

Yes, 1981.

The F-16 (also somewhat revolutionary) , took about two years from a virtual napkin sketch by Harry hillaker, and a group of USAF mavericks, to succesfull competing flying prototypes.

Still, none crashed, no one died.

And only a very few years more to get certified and into full production.

I'm reminded of a line from a favorite hollywood classic,

Sir. Richard Attenbourgh, to James Stewart in the original "Flight Of The Pheonix."

"we can die here, OR, we can die in THAT thing !"

I hope the V-22 does well in the combat theater, earlier this year one of two both being fully prepaired and maintained under ideal conditions, had an emergency landing in the Azores on the way to the big industry European airshow.

Nobody was shooting at them, with 20mm rifles, machine guns or heat seaking missles at the time.

But hey, 1 out'a two ain't so bad for a mega-multi-billion dollar project these daze.

What I don't like about the V-22 program the most is this,
the more, and more you learn about it, study, and analyse
the less, and less, you like it.

Time and unfortunately lost lives, will tell.

But hey, so long as somebody makes a buck,
it's A-Ok, and the American way, bay-bee !

Pepole with a vested interest in the program will tell you how great it is, go figure.

Enthusiastswho embrace anything and everything the USA ever comes up with, and yes EVEN the F-111, & B1B, (the latter, which can barely get off the ground fully loaded), and so labeled "high tech," will also agree.

Once again, go figure, they are truely "enthusiasts" look up the word, I know, because I was one myself, for many years.

LuvUall, Ba-bye.
________________
Jason H
Wrote;

"I am a V-22 crew chief in the marine corps"

And so you have a vested interest, and are gamefully employed as a result of this program, you wouldn't be around if you didn't believe in the AC.

However, that does not make you an objective critical observer.

We'll watch with interest in the coming months how it performs, I hope it dosn't kill any more of our pepole.

http://www.newsobserver.com/news/osprey/

http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?BRD=1675&dept_id=18171&newsid=12258013&PAG=461&rfi=9

By BOB COX
STAR-TELEGRAM STAFF WRITER
Posted on Sat, Mar. 31, 2007
A Marine Corps Osprey had an engine-compartment fire Thursday.
Another Marine Corps V-22 Osprey flight crew experienced a close call Thursday night when a hydraulic leak led to an engine-compartment fire before takeoff.

The Marine MV-22, assigned to the squadron that is expected to be the first to be deployed overseas this year, was preparing to take off from the Marine base at New River, N.C., when the crew got warnings of a fire and hydraulic leak in the right-hand engine nacelle.

The Pentagon expects to buy 360 V-22s for the Marines, 50 for the Air Force and 48 for the Navy. The price: more than $100 million each now, including development costs.

Answer 3

Time's writer never flew an airplane or a helicopter. Like mentioned before the F-111 was a real bummer when it first came out. One reason was autopilot for low level flying could be set as low as 50 feet above the ground. Pilots would over react and the bird would crash. The Marines had the Harrier Jump Jet they got from the British who did not want it. It was a Vertical Takeoff Jet that transformed into a regular fighter plane. The only problem was in the beginning they would take off and flip over and crash. The bugs of both planes were corrected and they served well. In fact Australia bought all the F-111's and FB-111's. The B-1A was what the Air Force wanted to replace the aging B-52 fleet. Jimmy Carter canceled the program. Later Regan brought it back as the B-1B. The plane had less capability than the A model and we only bought 100. We had about 400 B-52s at that time. Now we still have 100 B-52's and the last one was built in 1952. Every weapon system the military buys is junk according to the nay sayers. I remember that the M-16 was too easy to jam, could not shoot straight, etc. In WW ll they said the M-1 Garrand was junk too.

Is the Osprey worth it? I don't know. Should we have it? Yes.

Answer 4

All new hardware from the Wright Flyer to the Space shuttle has teething problems.
The V-22 is going through it as well. However, even if it does eventually get sorted out, it is an extremely complicated and maintenance intensive vehicle.
The twin rotor chinook does 90% of what the osprey does for 10% of the cost.

In one sense, it is fortunate that there is a war going on. This allows the Osprey to be tested in real combat. One way or the other, the vehicle will prove itself.

The Marines are in love with the Osprey, and as we all know love stinks.

Answer 5

Well i personally fiund the magazine article, wrong in almost its entirety. I am a V-22 crew chief in the marine corps. Even with me being rather "boot" having only aboiut 200 hours it is still hard to listen to people who know little or nothing about it, run it into the ground.. The aircraft is very reliable and the "misconceptions" about its flight flaws are wrong. TIME stating that durin engine trouble we woiuld basically crash into the ground with no questions asked.. wrong. With one engine off we can perform almost unphased. And with both engines out, yes we cannot auto rotate but all pilots and crew have practiced flight profiles to glide as an airplane and glide the plane to a safe landing. A little more damage yes. but in my mind the pros outweigh the cons tenfold

Answer 6

Time used material that was current 2 years ago to write that story. It was like people predicting the M-1 Abrams wouldn't be able to operate in the Desert. Of course they didn't think the armed forces would demand and get improvements.
There isn't one piece of military hardware that didn't have problems. We put the F-111 into operation in Vietnam even knowing all the bugs were not out of it yet.

Answer 7

Why would you believe a Time Magazine article ?

Right after the invasion of Panama, Time wrote an article slamming the F-117 stealth fighter.

They concluded it was a piece of garbage.

Now we all know what happened less than 2 years later, during the Gulf War, when the F-117's showed they were worth every penny.

So, ya need to be careful, who you listen too.

Answer 8

At LEAST give it some forward fireing machine guns. I really want this plane to succeed. Granted I am surprised its not fully operational .. The F 111 got off to a bad start too.
I don't know if Time calling it a " flying shame" is 100% called for. If we lose a bunch in Iraq, that will be it for the program however

Answer 9

as for the V-22 the jury still out on it, on the other hand I have seen helicopters that are worse and we used them every day....! so go figure!