Tilt Rotor Aircraft - When they're ready to taxi, Wells and Edwards pitch the rotors forward a few degrees and glide towards the runway. They accelerate the engines to full power, roll a few hundred feet, then lift off at a speed that, compared to that of a similarly sized business jet, seems downright leisurely.
The pilots bank to the right, tilt the rotors fully forward, and speed off to a designated testing area high above the rural farmland of southeastern Pennsylvania, where they'll run through a battery of speed and maneuverability tests.
Tilt Rotor Aircraft
The US Air Force and US Navy variants are equipped with a Raytheon AN/APQ-186 terrain-following, multimode radar. The helicopter night-vision system is the Raytheon AN/AAQ-16 (V-22) FLIR, which is mounted on the nose. This system contains a 3-5 micron indium antimonide staring focal plane array.
V- Dual Tilt Rotor Design
The automatic wing and rotor folding sequence, which can be completed in 90 seconds in a 60kt wind, is as follows: the aircraft lands in helicopter mode; the two outboard blades of each rotor are folded inboard;
the nacelles are rotated forward to cruise mode; and the wings are rotated by 90° clockwise. The V-22 was approved for full-rate production in September 2005. The MV-22 achieved initial operating capability in June 2007 and left for its first operational deployment in Iraq in September 2007, with USMC Squadron 263. Initial operating capability for the CV
-22 was achieved in March 2009, but a CV-22 flew a first search and recovery mission from Kirtland AFB, New Mexico, in October 2007. Whether or not the AW609 can establish itself in the aviation market, Leonardo expects it will enter commercial service in earnest in 2019, after certification.
And easy operation might outweigh cost here. After Wells completed his real-world test flight, he took me for a spin in the company's development simulator. Despite having just basic flight experience—none of it in helicopters—I managed a full flight, including takeoff and landing, with just a few interventions from Wells.
V- Osprey Programme And Development
"There's not always an easy road to get where you want," said Augustin. “There's no easy street. You have to put in the work to get the job done. Growing up, I learned the importance of a strong work ethic.”
With 90 percent of global commerce traveling by sea and access to the internet relying on the security of undersea fiber optic cables, Navy officials continue to emphasize that the prosperity of the United States is directly linked to trained sailors and a strong Navy.
The AW609 tiltrotor aircraft is the civilian cousin of the larger, military V-22 Osprey, aimed at corporate aviation, search and rescue operations, and oil rig transport. It looks like it should be a complicated mess to fly, with those big rotors that swivel back and forth, shifting the aircraft for vertical to horizontal flight, helicopter to airplane mode.
But the pilots say it's surprisingly docile—and capable. “It's all fly-by-wire, and much of the transition between flight modes is automated. But the thing that's always surprised me the most is how fast it is,” Wells says.
The AW609 can fly at 320 mph; most helicopters top out around 170 mph. "Its acceleration has blown away some of the other pilots who've flown alongside it during testing." The V-22 can climb at the rate of 16.2m/s.
The maximum and cruise speeds of the aircraft are 565km/h and 510km/h respectively. The range is 3,379km. The combat range and service ceiling are 692km and 7,620m respectively. The AW609 has alluring features to go with its VTOL status and heady speed.
Unlike any conventional helicopter, it's pressurized, so it can fly at 25,000 feet, a boon for efficient cruising. Still, in the excruciatingly cost-conscious aviation market, it might remain a hard sell. Boeing is responsible for the fuselage, landing gear, avionics, electrical and hydraulic systems, performance and flying qualities.
Bell Helicopter Textron is responsible for the wing and nacelle, propulsion, rotor, empennage (complete tail system), ramp, overwing fairing and the dynamics. "My proudest accomplishment is earning the rank of chief petty officer," said Augustin. “Being a chief is about the sailors.
I have to train my replacement. I would like to leave a positive path for the new sailors coming in, so one day they can say, 'I want to be like Chief Augustin.' I always have their back, and I want them to know that."
“Our greatest challenge is getting folks to think differently about tiltrotors,” said Bill Sunick, Jr., Leonardo's senior manager of marketing for the AW609. “This is a new class of powered-lift aircraft, and it allows you to always use the asset at your disposal as you want and need to use it.”
A two-year flight test program began in May 2002 and a second OP/EVAL phase began in March 2005. USAF CV-22 resumed flight testing in September 2002. The first CV-22 was delivered to the USAF in October 2005.
In July 2006, two MV-22 Ospreys completed flights crossing the Atlantic to take part in the flying display at the Farnborough International Airshow. The MV-22 was deployed for the first time in an offensive combat mission known as Operation Cobra's Anger in December 2009.
Both ease of flight and performance will be critical if the nine-passenger aircraft, now a prototype, has any hope of commercial success. That's hardly a given, since analysts estimate one of these things will cost around $25 million—about what you pay for a super-medium category helicopter.
It's also up against many misconceptions about tiltrotors, mostly stemming from the Osprey's growing pains, which came in the form of several high-profile and fatal accidents. Those flaws have since been fixed, and the Osprey has proven its capability in operational use with the Marine Corps and Air Force.
It also proved an enticing virtual ride, given the ability to get up and go from any location and reach significant speeds on the way. So it's easy to see how the concept could appeal to one up-and-coming market: the autonomous air taxi.
Smaller electrified versions of the tiltrotor are already on the minds of outfits pursuing that dream, including the secretive Joby Aviation and Uber's collaboration with Bell Helicopters. So even if the AW609 may not end up being your own personal transport—unless you work on an oil rig, have a corner office, or fall off a cliff—its still possible that something like it might show up on your lawn someday.
BestReviews is reader-supported and may earn an affiliate commission. Details. Why Shigella is in the news Shigella isn't new. It was discovered in 1896 by Kiyoshi Shiga, a scientist who was investigating a large epidemic of dysentery in Japan.
The … In June 2011, the Israel Air Force (IAF) unveiled the decision to send its team to the US for evaluating the V-22 Osprey. The IAF intended to acquire V-22s to carry out search and rescue, and special covert operations.
Flying around the digitally rendered Philadelphia suburbs proved easy. Landing was harder, mostly because you have to aim for a fixed point (as opposed to a long runway) before switching from horizontal to vertical flight. Overall, it was more fun and less stressful than the helicopter simulators I've tried.
At an airport just north of downtown Philadelphia, test pilots Dan Wells and Paul Edwards fire up a pair of 1,900-horsepower turboshaft engines. Slowly, the aircraft's two rotors, each with three blades and 25 feet in diameter, start to rotate.
Pointing straight up, they're soon thumping the air and the ear drums of everyone nearby. The glass cockpit is equipped with six night-vision goggle compatible displays including four 6in square color active matrix liquid crystal multifunction displays, a shared control display unit and a standby flight display.
The flight crew has a pilot's night-vision system and a Honeywell integrated helmet display. The aircraft can provide VTOL (vertical take-off and landing) with a payload of 24 troops, or 6,000lb of cargo at 430nm combat range, or VTOL with a payload of 8,300lb of cargo for a range of 220nm.
“The risk here isn't technological maturation,” says aviation analyst Richard Aboulafia, with the Teal Group. “The AW609 depends on commercial reality, rather than military capabilities. The Marines and Air Force will pay a 100 percent premium, relative to a similar-sized helicopter, for the V-22's speed and range.
Will civilian customers pay a 100 percent premium for speed and range? A lot of civil helicopter missions involve 50 to 100 mile trips, so they'd pay much more for a smaller cabin, just to save a few minutes.”
Of course, customers might pay more for the ability to go farther and faster. If they had wanted to, Wells and Edwards could have shot into the sky without leaving their original parking spot. But the engineers on their team wanted to know more about the Leonardo AW609's short-takeoff capabilities, so they went the runway route.
When they return an hour later, they come in with the rotors angled straight up, hover 20 feet above the ground, execute a casual pirouette, and touch down onto a helipad. In January 2008, BAE Systems was awarded a contract by the US SOCOM for the rapid development and installation of a remotely operated weapon turret for the MV-22, based on the remote guardian system (RGS), which provides 360° coverage.
The RGS is belly-mounted on the MV-22 and is armed with a GAU-17 7.62mm minigun. BAE Systems installed the first system on a CV-22 in February 2008 for ground and flight testing. © 2023 Condé Nast.
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The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Condé Nast. Ad Choices The V-22 is fully shipboard compatible, with the world's first complete blade fold and wing stowage system.
It can operate off all US Navy L-class amphibious ships, the LHA/LHD assault carriers, and can be stowed on full-size CV/CVN carriers. “Serving in the Navy has given me a lot of discipline,” said Augustin. “This career has set me up for the civilian world.
Sometimes, I feel like people assume that because I'm a female, I work in administration, but I'm an electrician. I actually work on the aircraft.” "My proudest accomplishment in the Navy is earning my wings," said Hawes.
“It's a lot of hard work and late hours. Being instructed by great officers and making the right decisions means a lot to me and will help set me on the right path for my career.”
That tiltrotor design, after all, is the AW609's key feature. By combining vertical and horizontal flight, this and other VTOL aircraft could pick up CEOs right at their helipad, then fly them wherever they need to go.
They could help in search and rescue operations where runways are difficult to find, and carry the injured all the way to distant hospitals. They could move people to and from offshore oil rigs. A five-year contract for 141 MV-22 and 26 CV-22 was placed in March 2008. In total 360 MV-22 (to replace CH-46 Sea Knight) and 50 CV-22 (to replace MH-53J Pave Low helicopters
) are required. The 100th V-22 Osprey was delivered in March 2008. “I'd like to send a shoutout to my mom, Antonetta Wilkins and Miss Molly Williams,” added Augustin. “Thank you for being supportive of my career and being that shoulder I sometimes needed as a kid.
I'll be home soon!” In July 2015, the US Navy signed a contract for the delivery of five V-22s to Japan, marking its first sale under the foreign military sales program. The US Navy announced its intention to procure 44 V-22s in the same year.
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