V-22 Osprey Tiltrotor Vertical Short Take Off and Landing Aircraft

Range, speed and flexibility. Hard rules once defined by the limitations of previous medium-lift helicopters. The V-22 is the world’s first production tilt-rotor combines the vertical performance of a helicopter with the high speed and range of a fixed wing aircraft which offers twice the speed, three times the payload, five times the range, and can fly more than twice as high as older rotor craft it is destined to replace. The Osprey is about to revolutionize military air transport in a way that has not been seen since the introduction of helicopters more than 50 years ago.

The Osprey is a tilt rotor vertical/short take off and landing (VSTOL) multi-mission aircraft with capabilities like no other. Combining the vertical flight capabilities of a helicopter with the speed and range of a turbo prop airplane it permits air to aerial refueling and worldwide self deployment.

The Osprey has been designed in three versions to better suit specific military operations. The Marine Corps MV-22 has been optimized to transport 24 combat troops or 10,000 pounds of external cargo and is able to easily access landing sites from aviation capable amphibious ships and expeditionary forward operating bases on shore. The Air Force CV-22 is configured with unique avionics suited to carry out Special Operations missions whilst the Navy’s HV-22 will be used for combat Search and Rescue and logistic support.

The Propulsion System

The V-22’s propulsion system consists of dual counter rotating prop-rotors attached to gearboxes driven by Rolls Royce Allison AE 1107C turbo shaft engines. The engines, prop rotor gearboxes, tilt-axis gearboxes, prop rotor controls, and infrared suppressors are all housed in the rotating nacelle on the end of each wing. An interconnecting drive shaft transfers power from each nacelle to the mid-wing gearbox. It’s these folding rotors and rotating wings that make the V-22 more compact and easy to store.

External Dimensions

• Length, fuselage, ft/m — 57.33/17.48
• Length, stowed, ft/m — 62.58/19.08
• Width, rotors turning, ft/m — 83.33/25.55
• 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

The V-22 is produced under a strategic alliance between Bell Helicopter and The Boeing Company. Boeing is responsible for the fuselage and all subsystems, digital avionics, and fly-by-wire flight-control systems and partners Bell Helicopter Textron Inc, is responsible for the wing, transmissions, empennage, rotor systems and engine installation.

The Marine Corps are expected to purchase 360 MV-22s, the Navy is slated to get 48 MV-22s and the Air Force Special Operations Command will acquire 50 CV-22’s. The CV-22’s will reach initial operational capability in 2009, while the Marines’ variant should be ready to deploy in later this year.

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