Path: utzoo!mnetor!tmsoft!torsqnt!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!att!cbnews!military From: mike@hpmrw.hp.com (Mike Wilson) Newsgroups: sci.military Subject: V-22 Osprey Message-ID: <11527@cbnews.ATT.COM> Date: 18 Nov 89 06:36:55 GMT Sender: military@cbnews.ATT.COM Lines: 37 Approved: military@att.att.com Full-Name: Mike Wilson From: Mike Wilson Bill, I tried sending a response to the query in sci.military for info on the V-22. I use HP notes and am not sure if my response got back to you so I am trying again. Scott and Jason have both forgotten what the V in V-22 stands for. It's 'vertical'. With the rotors tilted fully vertical, the V-22 operates like a helicopter. It can take-off and land vertically, hover, fly sideways and backwards, and turn about its vertical axis. With the rotors tilted forward, the V-22 operates like a turboprop airplane with really big props. The props extend below the fuselage and, in fact, extend below the landing gear even when they are lowered. The V-22 cannot land when it is fully converted to airplane mode. But it can and often does take-off and land with the rotors partially titled. This obviously takes some runway, but if you got it, use it. BTW, the large rotors (props) make it very quiet when in airplane mode. So landing gear failure is not a problem. Engine failure isn't either (at least it's not catastrophic). There is a driveshaft which runs the length of the wing and allows either engine to drive both rotors. BTW, the landing gear scenario reminds me of a story about the Bell 222 (Air Wolf is a 222). It has retractable landing gear in the wing shaped fairings on either side of the fuselage. On a flight of one of the prototypes, one landing gear won't lock down. So the pilot hovered a few feet from the ground while the copilot jumped out and kicked the landing gear until it locked. Try that in an airplane :-). -- Mike Wilson Hewlett-Packard, Systems Technology Division Roseville, CA Unix to Unix: mike@hpmrw.rose.hp.com