Terrific Tiltrotor

DRIVING THE V-22 OSPREY

Driving the V-22 Osprey

The Bell Boeing MV-22B Osprey has now been serving in the USMC ranks for over two decades. Combat-tested, the ubiquitous Marine Corps Ospreys are found on the U.S. West Coast, East Coast, Hawaii, Japan, and in combat theaters of operations. Well over 300 MV-22Bs are in service with the Marines, with their formal mission being the transportation of troops, equipment, and supplies from ships and land bases for combat assault and assault support. On a smaller numbers scale with 51 aircraft, U.S. Air Force Special Operations flies the CV-22B version. The primary CV-22B mission is conducting longrange infiltration, exfiltration, and resupply missions.

Not unlike other programs, the Osprey was born in controversy, including its high cost coupled with a few tragic accidents. Simply put, the Osprey’s revolutionary design meant higher risk and financial expenditure until it stabilized. After a multitude of changes were made to the aircraft, the Osprey completed the teething process and is currently an important component of the U.S. military armada. The Osprey changed how the military does some of its business.

The Osprey Today

Today Osprey reliability is better than ever, with numerous modifications and upgrades having been made throughout production. This resulted in different versions—Block A, Block B, and Block C—in fleet service. There are some minor differences within the Blocks as well. The long-term goal is to have all aircraft identically configured and evolve into “commonality,” making Osprey maintenance easier and identical across the fleet.

The Marines currently have Block B and Block C variants (there are no more Block As). And because there are variants within each Block, different airframe and avionic configurations are scattered across the fleet. The latest production aircraft that are coming off the line are known as the Block C MCOI (Mission Computer Obsolescence Initiative) and have the latest avionics.

All of the older Ospreys will be upgraded to Block C, which has become the staple configuration. Ultimately, the Marines will only need to stock one set of part types fleet-wide. However, this undertaking will take years to complete and is being accomplished in a phased approach.

Osprey crews do not like to rely on weapons; they avoid hostile environments as much as possible and rely more on speed to quickly get in and out as their mode of operation. That said, a 7.62mm M240 or a

.50 caliber M2 machine gun can be mounted on the Osprey’s cargo ramp and used to lay down suppression fire. The IDWS (Interim Defensive Weapon System) is a bellymounted retractable turret kit that sports a 7.62mm GAU-17 minigun, but only a limited number of these found their way to the fleet and the system has proved to be a bit heavy for routine use.

A VMM-363 “Red Lions” Osprey blazes over South Dakota. Compared to the CH-46 “Phrog” it replaced, the MV-22 is very fast— one of its important assets in theaters of operation.

Below: A VMM-161 “Greyhawks” Osprey crew walks the ramp after another mission. Osprey crew numbers vary depending on the particular mission at hand, but it does require a minimum of three.

Above: The Osprey is equipped with a glass cockpit that includes contemporary navigation and tactical displays. The V-22 gives pilots excellent visibility. Pilots came from a diversity of rotary and fixed-wing platforms during the operational stand up.

Below: The Osprey mission sets tend to avoid using weapons and rely more on speed and range. However, if there may be a need for suppression fire, machine guns can be mounted on the cargo ramp; in this case a spindle-mounted 7.62mm M240 fits the need.

Above: A VMM-165 “White Knights” Osprey, with the nacelles situated fully forward, cruises in airplane mode over scenic California. The majority, but not all, of USMC Osprey units formerly flew the CH-46 Sea Knight, affectionately known as the “Phrog.”

Right: An MV-22B crewman peers out the cargo ramp as the world flashes by below. It is imperative that crewmen use harnesses, since the Osprey is basically powered by the same engines as the KC-130J Hercules. All that power results in tremendous acceleration coupled with a superb climb rate, so crew members need to hang on for the ride.

The MV-22B is actually unpressurized, so the crew and passengers must wear oxygen masks above 10,000 feet altitude when flying long distances. Altitudes of up to 16,000 feet are standard for those kinds of flights.