Sikorsky is flight-testing a technology demonstrator helicopter, not a tilt-wing aircraft, that they have flown at 225 knots and expect to fly at or over 250kts, which is about 286MPH.
The far more complex (and presumably far more expensive) V-22 can go no faster than the Sikorsky X-2.
The DoD should take a good look at the X-2. If they don't, Congress should make them do so.
(H/T)
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The Pentagon is years behind in fucking up this project. There's no way they'll catch up, if they just get on board now!
Replacing the Osprey with superior technology is a worthy goal. I just wonder if there will ever be a monument to the lives sacrificed to get the Thunder Chickens in the air?
The deal with the Osprey compared to a helicopter is that a) it has a much longer ferry range -- you can fly an Osprey in-theatre, while you have to haul a helicopter in the back of a transport plane, and b) it operates far better at altitude -- flying a helicopter in Afghanistan is fraught with peril because you can't just bump it up to altitude, you're already near its altitude limits. Thus why the Soviets lost so many Hinds after the U.S. provided Stingers to the Afghans.
Part (b) is just inherent in the operation of an egg beater. Part (a) (the range issue) might be another story... but no word yet on whether this technology demonstrator will have a significantly increased range compared to current helicopters.
- Badtux the Technology Geek Penguin
Badtux,
The Osprey has some serious issues, though. The Navy has to reinforce the flight decks on its carriers (both fixed-wing and helo) to withstand the direct exhaust of 6,000+HP gas turbine engines. The Osprey also throws up one hell of a dust/sand cloud, to the point that it may be landing IFR almost everywhere on land.
Yes, I'm aware of the V-22's many, many issues. I'm just telling you why the Marines decided to overlook those issues and what Sikorsky's helicopter will have to do if it's going to knock the V-22's off the Marines' roster. I doubt the altitude issue is going away, but if they can get the range up, that might change things enough to get the V-22's sent to the repository of bad ideas from whence they should never have emerged...
-Badtux the Technology Penguin
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