Osprey V-22
In the 1950s and 1960s, some companies in the United States, Canada and Europe competed to develop tilt-rotor aircraft that combined the advantages of helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft. craze. Initially, many aviation experts had high hopes for the development of such an aircraft. However, due to the complex design structure of this aircraft, especially in the development of the wing rotating structure and rotating nacelle structure, it has been difficult to achieve breakthroughs for a long time. In addition, accidents involving crashes and fatalities occurred one after another during test flights. Therefore, Many countries have given up on research and development. Perhaps, it really confirms the old Chinese saying - Where there is a will, there is a way.
Although the X-22A, XC-124A, and CL-84 demonstrator aircraft developed by the American Bell Helicopter Company all suffered accidents, after unremitting efforts, the XV-15 demonstrator aircraft (below) was finally completed in May 1977. Picture) was sent into the blue sky, taking a solid step towards the development of the V-22 "Osprey".
In 1982, Bell Helicopter Company and Boeing Helicopter Company began to jointly develop tilt-rotor aircraft based on the XV-15 based on the JVX plan (Multipurpose Vertical Takeoff and Landing Aircraft Development Plan) proposed by the U.S. Department of Defense. The U.S. Army was responsible at the time. However, the Army decided to abandon the development plan within a year. At the same time, the US Marine Corps developed a strong interest in the aircraft and eventually became the main customer of the aircraft.
According to the division of tasks, Bell is mainly responsible for the development of wings, engine nacelles, propeller-rotor devices, transmission systems and engine integration. Boeing is responsible for the airframe, tail, landing gear, and comprehensive electronic equipment. The V-22 Osprey completed its first test flight in 1989. From December 4 to 7, 1990, sea test flights were conducted on the USS Hornet aircraft carrier, and a series of test flights were completed before the end of the year. Despite this, the U.S. Congress and Department of Defense remain extremely lukewarm toward this unique aircraft. In fiscal year 1990 and fiscal year 1991, funding for the aircraft development program was stopped. A year later, although funding began to resume, the amount was very limited and was limited to scientific research design and experiments. In the future development, V-22 went through many hardships. According to the original plan, the U.S. Department of Defense should purchase 913 Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft of four types, namely the MV-22 used by the Marine Corps, the HV-22 used by the Navy, and the CV-22 and SV-22A used by the Air Force. However, due to the passive resistance of the US Department of Defense to the development plan, all plans to develop the SV-22A were cancelled, and the entire procurement quantity was reduced to 657 aircraft. The first reason for reducing the purchase quantity is that the research and development expenditure is too high. If calculated according to the price in 1997, the development expenditure for each aircraft is as high as 42 million US dollars. The second is poor security. Before 1993, two of the five demonstrator aircraft crashed to the ground and died during test flights due to malfunctions in onboard electronic equipment and engine failure. And even in 2000, when the V-22 had developed relatively maturely, it still lost two MV-22 models. This is a story for another day.
Thankfully, the V-22 finally won the approval of the Department of Defense. According to the plan, five V-22 "Osprey" began to be produced in June 1998 and were delivered to the US Marine Corps in 1999. From 2000 to 2002, another 20 aircraft were delivered to the Marine Corps in three batches. It is expected that the U.S. Department of Defense will purchase a total of 523 aircraft, of which the Marine Corps will purchase 425 MV-22s, which will be used as transport and airborne aircraft, all replacing the CH-46 and CH-53 helicopters used by the Marine Corps. The Navy purchased 48 HV-22s as search and rescue aircraft and electronic jammers used by aircraft carriers and large combat ships. The Air Force purchased 50 CV-22s (pictured below) as special operations aircraft to replace AC-130H and MC-130E/H special aircraft and MH-53J helicopters. They were delivered in two batches in 2003 and 2005.
The V-22 cantilevered high-wing monoplane. A rotating nacelle is installed on each wing tip at both ends of the wing. Each of the two nacelles is equipped with a T406-AD-400 turboshaft engine (6235 shaft horsepower) developed by the American Allison Company.
The heads of the two nacelles are each equipped with a counterclockwise rotating rotor composed of three blades. The blades are made of graphite/glass fiber and have a trapezoidal plane shape. The blades are designed differently from ordinary helicopters, which is conducive to Improve forward flight and hover efficiency. When the rotating nacelle is pointed vertically, it can take off vertically like a helicopter. After reaching a certain flight altitude and speed, the rotating nacelle rotates forward 90° to a horizontal position, and the aircraft flies forward like an ordinary fixed-wing propeller aircraft. When flying in a helicopter mode, the control system can change the magnitude of the rotor lift force and the direction of the rotor pull force tilt in order to maintain or change the aircraft's flight status. When flying in cruise mode, the two pairs of ailerons on the trailing edge of the upper wing ensure the lateral control of the aircraft. The rudder hinged on the end plate vertical tail and the elevator on the horizontal tail can change the flight direction and flight altitude by relying on the steering gear.
V-22 and its improved versions are equipped with an aerial refueling system, and its crew consists of three people. In order to improve flight reliability, the aircraft adopts a three-degree fly-by-wire control system, and 59% of the body structure is made of composite materials. According to the combat use requirements of the U.S. Marine Corps, the V-22 will be mainly based on aircraft carriers and other large ships. In order to reduce the space occupied by the aircraft on the deck, folding propellers are used, and the wings are also rotated and can be parallel to the fuselage when necessary. A TACAN navigation system is installed on board. The operating frequency band of the TACAN system is 962~1213 MHz, with a total of 252 channels. The navigation system can be used to ensure that aircraft fly along predetermined routes, gather and rendezvous in the air of fleets, and guide aircraft to return home and approach and land under complex weather conditions. The TACAN navigation system was first equipped and used by the United States in the 1950s, and later became NATO's standard military navigation system. An AN/APQ-174 terrain tracking multi-function radar is also installed, and five multi-function displays are installed, the fifth of which is dedicated to displaying terrain maps. Airborne equipment can ensure communication between V-22s and between the aircraft and the base and E-3A airborne early warning and control aircraft. In order to improve night combat capabilities, pilot night vision goggles will be installed on the V-22 used by the Marine Corps, and the AN/AAQ-16 forward-looking infrared search radar will be installed on the improved V-22 used by the Air Force and Navy. In addition, VHF and UHF voice secure communication devices, Identifier Friend or Foe, and AN/AAR-47 missile warning system were also installed. The picture below shows the V-22 cockpit diagram.
The V-22’s onboard weapons can be selected based on the nature of the mission. Usually, several 7.62mm or 12.7mm machine guns are installed in the cargo hold, a rotating gun mount is installed under the head of the fuselage, and torpedo and missile racks are installed on both sides of the fuselage. Bell Boeing has selected General Dynamics Weapon Systems, a wholly-owned subsidiary of General Motors, to develop a gun mount system for the V-22 Osprey aircraft. The contract is valid from 2001 to 2005, and Boeing will pay US$45 million for the engineering design, development, manufacturing and testing of three V-22 turret systems. The entire project has a potential value of US$250 million. "We are honored to have this opportunity to partner with Bell Boeing to provide weapons systems integration expertise to the U.S. Marine Corps' utility aircraft," said General Dynamics Weapon Systems President Thomas Hudson. V provided by General Dynamics Weapon Systems The -22 turret artillery system will include a GAU-19 12.7mm Gatling machine gun, a light turret and a linear composite bomb bay and ammunition supply system. The turret can rotate 75 degrees left and right, tilt up 20 degrees, and pitch down 70 degrees. It is located directly under the nose of the aircraft, and the ammunition supply system is located under the cockpit. The system will provide suppressive firepower for the V-22 Osprey aircraft and provide fighter aircraft survivability. But in early 2001, the V-22 program office reconsidered whether the V-22 needed a gun turret. The discovery during development that the system was more expensive than expected prompted Marine Corps leadership and program management to reconsider. By December 2002, the U.S. Naval Air Systems Command solicited bids for a new 12.7mm machine gun for use on the V-22 and other naval aircraft.
The requirements for the weapon include: a pivot mounted 12.7mm machine gun, which is bolted to prevent spontaneous combustion of bullets; a rate of fire exceeding 1,000 rounds per minute; a barrel life of 10,000 rounds; and no need to send the ammunition within 40,000 rounds. Weapons repair base for maintenance; equipped with ammunition boxes with capacities of 100, 300 and 600 rounds; can fire all NATO standard 12.7mm bullets, including shelling ammunition.
The aircraft has a rotor diameter of 11.58 meters, a wingspan of 15.52 meters, a length of 19.09 meters, a height of 6.90 meters, and a sea level cruising speed of 185 kilometers/hour (flying by helicopter) and 509 kilometers/hour. (Flying in fixed-wing mode), the practical ceiling is 7925 meters, the take-off and rolling distance is 152 meters, the range is 2225 kilometers (full load, vertical take-off and landing) and 3336 kilometers (full load, short take-off and landing), and the empty weight is 14463 kilograms. The normal take-off weight reaches 21,545 kg (vertical take-off and landing) and 24,947 kg (short take-off and landing), and the maximum take-off weight is 27,442 kg (short take-off and landing).
The V-22 has a rectangular fuselage, which increases the cabin volume and can carry 24 fully armed soldiers or 12 stretchers and medical personnel. It can also carry 9,072 kilograms and external stores inside the aircraft. 6 804 kg cargo. In terms of its flight speed and range, it far exceeds the CH-46 helicopter. The V-22 also has advantages compared to some military transport aircraft. Take the G222 military transport aircraft developed in Italy with a load capacity of 9,000 kilograms. Its maximum flight speed is 633 kilometers per hour and its maximum range is only 1,400 kilometers.
Reference: /74330253.html
Answer: CHUJIAO6 - General Officer Level 9 10-8 00:30
October 2005, MV- The 22 Osprey project was approved to enter the full-rate production phase, thus ending 18 years of testing of the aircraft. Previously, the U.S. Department of Defense officially announced that the first batch of five V-22 "Osprey" OSPREY tilt-rotor aircraft officially entered service with the U.S. Marine Corps two years ago. Subsequently, its improved versions will be gradually equipped with the US military. The tilt-rotor aircraft is a novel type of aircraft between a helicopter and an ordinary aircraft.
In the 1950s and 1960s, some companies in the United States, Canada and Europe competed to set off a wave of development of tilt-rotor aircraft that combined the advantages of helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft. Initially, many aviation experts had high hopes for the development of such an aircraft. However, due to the complex design structure of this aircraft, especially in the development of the wing rotating structure and rotating nacelle structure, it has been difficult to achieve breakthroughs for a long time. In addition, accidents involving crashes and fatalities occurred one after another during test flights. Therefore, Many countries have given up on research and development. Perhaps, it really confirms the old Chinese saying - Where there is a will, there is a way.
Although the X-22A, XC-124A, and CL-84 demonstrator aircraft developed by the American Bell Helicopter Company all suffered accidents, after unremitting efforts, the XV-15 demonstrator aircraft was finally released in May 1977. It was sent to the blue sky and took a solid step towards the development of the V-22 "Osprey".
In 1982, Bell Helicopter Company and Boeing Helicopter Company began to jointly develop tilt-rotor aircraft based on the XV-15 based on the JVX multi-purpose vertical take-off and landing aircraft development plan proposed by the U.S. Department of Defense. The U.S. Army is in charge. However, the Army decided to abandon the development plan within a year. At the same time, the US Marine Corps developed a strong interest in the aircraft and eventually became the main customer of the aircraft.
According to the division of tasks, Bell is mainly responsible for the development of wings, engine nacelles, propeller-rotor devices, transmission systems and engine integration. Boeing is responsible for the airframe, tail, landing gear, and comprehensive electronic equipment. The V-22 Osprey completed its first test flight in 1989. From December 4 to 7, 1990, sea test flights were conducted on the USS Hornet aircraft carrier, and a series of test flights were completed before the end of the year. Despite this, the U.S. Congress and Department of Defense remain extremely lukewarm toward this unique aircraft.
In fiscal year 1990 and fiscal year 1991, funding for the aircraft development program was stopped. A year later, although funding began to resume, the amount was very limited and was limited to scientific research design and experiments. In the future development, V-22 went through many hardships. According to the original plan, the U.S. Department of Defense should purchase 913 Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft of four types, namely the MV-22 used by the Marine Corps, the HV-22 used by the Navy, and the CV-22 and SV-22A used by the Air Force. However, due to the passive resistance of the US Department of Defense to the development plan, all plans to develop the SV-22A were cancelled, and the entire procurement quantity was reduced to 657 aircraft. The first reason for reducing the purchase quantity is that the research and development expenditure is too high. If calculated according to the price in 1997, the development expenditure for each aircraft is as high as 42 million US dollars. The second is poor security. Before 1993, two of the five demonstrator aircraft crashed to the ground and died during test flights due to malfunctions in onboard electronic equipment and engine failure. And even in 2000, when the V-22 had developed relatively maturely, it still lost two MV-22 models. This is a story for another day.
Thankfully, the V-22 finally won the approval of the Department of Defense. According to the plan, five V-22 "Osprey" began to be produced in June 1998 and were delivered to the US Marine Corps in 1999. From 2000 to 2002, another 20 aircraft were delivered to the Marine Corps in three batches. It is expected that the U.S. Department of Defense will purchase a total of 523 aircraft, of which the Marine Corps will purchase 425 MV-22s, which will be used as transport and airborne aircraft, all replacing the CH-46 and CH-53 helicopters used by the Marine Corps. The Navy purchased 48 HV-22s as search and rescue aircraft and electronic jammers used by aircraft carriers and large combat ships. The Air Force purchased 50 CV-22s (pictured below) as special operations aircraft to replace AC-130H and MC-130E/H special aircraft and MH-53J helicopters. They were delivered in two batches in 2003 and 2005.
The V-22 cantilevered high-wing monoplane. A rotating nacelle is installed on each wing tip at both ends of the wing. Each of the two nacelles is equipped with a T406-AD-400 turboshaft engine with a power of 6235 shaft horsepower developed by the American Allison Company. The heads of the two nacelles are each equipped with a counterclockwise rotating rotor composed of three blades. The blades are made of graphite/glass fiber and have a trapezoidal plane shape. The blades are designed differently from ordinary helicopters, which is conducive to Improve forward flight and hover efficiency. When the rotating nacelle is pointed vertically, it can take off vertically like a helicopter. After reaching a certain flight altitude and speed, the rotating nacelle rotates forward 90° to a horizontal position, and the aircraft flies forward like an ordinary fixed-wing propeller aircraft. When flying in a helicopter mode, the control system can change the magnitude of the rotor lift force and the direction of the rotor pull force tilt in order to maintain or change the aircraft's flight status. When flying in cruise mode, the two pairs of ailerons on the trailing edge of the upper wing ensure the lateral control of the aircraft. The rudder hinged on the end plate vertical tail and the elevator on the horizontal tail can change the flight direction and flight altitude by relying on the steering gear.
V-22 and its improved versions are equipped with an aerial refueling system, and its crew consists of three people. In order to improve flight reliability, the aircraft adopts a three-degree fly-by-wire control system, and 59% of the body structure is made of composite materials. According to the combat use requirements of the U.S. Marine Corps, the V-22 will be mainly based on aircraft carriers and other large ships. In order to reduce the space occupied by the aircraft on the deck, folding propellers are used, and the wings are also rotated and can be parallel to the fuselage when necessary. A TACAN navigation system is installed on board. The operating frequency band of the TACAN system is 962~1213 MHz, with a total of 252 channels. The navigation system can be used to ensure that aircraft fly along predetermined routes, gather and rendezvous in the air of fleets, and guide aircraft to return home and approach and land under complex weather conditions. The TACAN navigation system was first equipped and used by the United States in the 1950s, and later became NATO's standard military navigation system. An AN/APQ-174 terrain tracking multifunctional radar is also installed, and five multifunctional displays are installed, the fifth of which is dedicated to displaying terrain maps. Airborne equipment can ensure communication between V-22s and between the aircraft and the base and E-3A airborne early warning and control aircraft.
In order to improve night combat capabilities, pilot night vision goggles will be installed on the V-22 used by the Marine Corps, and the AN/AAQ-16 forward-looking infrared search radar will be installed on the improved V-22 used by the Air Force and Navy. In addition, VHF and UHF voice secure communication devices, Identifier Friend or Foe, and AN/AAR-47 missile warning system were also installed.
The V-22’s onboard weapons can be selected based on the nature of the mission. Usually, several 7.62mm or 12.7mm machine guns are installed in the cargo hold, a rotating gun mount is installed under the head of the fuselage, and torpedo and missile racks are installed on both sides of the fuselage. Bell Boeing has selected General Dynamics Weapon Systems, a wholly-owned subsidiary of General Motors, to develop a gun mount system for the V-22 Osprey aircraft. The contract is valid from 2001 to 2005, and Boeing will pay US$45 million for the engineering design, development, manufacturing and testing of three V-22 turret systems. The entire project has a potential value of US$250 million. "We are honored to have this opportunity to work with Bell Boeing to provide weapons system integration expertise to the U.S. Marine Corps' utility aircraft," said General Dynamics Weapon Systems President Thomas Hudson. V provided by General Dynamics Weapon Systems The -22 turret artillery system will include a GAU-19 12.7 mm Gatling machine gun, a light turret and a linear composite bomb bay and ammunition supply system. The turret can rotate 75 degrees left and right, tilt up 20 degrees, and pitch down 70 degrees. It is located directly under the nose of the aircraft, and the ammunition supply system is located under the cockpit. The system will provide suppressive firepower for the V-22 Osprey aircraft and provide fighter aircraft survivability. But in early 2001, the V-22 program office reconsidered whether the V-22 needed a gun turret. The discovery during development that the system was more expensive than expected prompted Marine Corps leadership and program management to reconsider. By December 2002, the U.S. Naval Air Systems Command solicited bids for a new 12.7mm machine gun for use on the V-22 and other Navy aircraft. The requirements for the weapon include: a pivot mounted 12.7mm machine gun, which is bolted to prevent spontaneous combustion of bullets; a rate of fire exceeding 1,000 rounds per minute; a barrel life of 10,000 rounds; and no need to send the ammunition within 40,000 rounds. Weapons repair base for maintenance; equipped with ammunition boxes with capacities of 100, 300 and 600 rounds; can fire all NATO standard 12.7mm bullets, including shelling ammunition.
The aircraft has a rotor diameter of 11.58 meters, a wingspan of 15.52 meters, a length of 19.09 meters, a height of 6.90 meters, and a cruising speed of 185 km/h at sea level using a helicopter and 509 km/h using a fixed aircraft. Flying in wing mode, the practical ceiling is 7925 meters, the take-off and rolling distance is 152 meters, the range is 2225 kilometers fully loaded, vertical take-off and landing and 3336 kilometers fully loaded, short take-off and landing, empty weight 14463 kg, normal take-off weight reaches 21545 kg vertical take-off The landing and short take-off and landing weight is 24,947 kilograms, and the maximum take-off weight is 27,442 kilograms for short take-off and landing.
The V-22 has a rectangular fuselage, which increases the cabin volume and can carry 24 fully armed soldiers or 12 stretchers and medical personnel. It can also carry 9,072 kilograms and external stores inside the aircraft. 6804 kg of cargo. In terms of its flight speed and range, it far exceeds the CH-46 helicopter. The V-22 also has advantages compared to some military transport aircraft. Take the G222 military transport aircraft developed in Italy with a load capacity of 9,000 kilograms. Its maximum flight speed is 633 kilometers per hour and its maximum range is only 1,400 kilometers.
Undoubtedly, the V-22 also has some problems. First, the structural design is complex, second, it is vulnerable to attacks by ground-based air defense weapons, and third, production and use are expensive. Therefore, Bell and Boeing tried to develop a V-22 aircraft that can attack ground-based anti-aircraft weapons to replace the AH-1 "Super Cobra" helicopter gunship, but they were rejected by the U.S. Congress and the Department of Defense. Of course, what we should see is that with the V-22 and its improved equipment, the US military's amphibious combat capabilities and global combat support capabilities will be improved to a certain extent.
Due to the superior performance of the V-22 itself, the U.S. armed forces and the British military have begun to develop a variety of modifications. A brief introduction is as follows:
MV-22
MV-22 is a V-22. The first variant of the -22 series is used by the Marine Corps and is deployed on Navy amphibious assault ships. It is planned to replace CH-46 and CH-53A/D helicopters, with a planned output of 425 units. The main wing of the MV-22 can be folded in a wide range with the main wing axis as the center of the circle. This version carries a crew of three and 24 fully armed Marines or an equivalent amount of cargo. There is a small variant of MV-22: the Army ambulance version, which has not received a formal order.
CV-22
The U.S. Air Force plans to use 50 CV-22s to replace all its own MH-53J, MH-60G helicopters and MC-130E "Attack Claw" transport aircraft. The CV-22 with advanced performance can fly faster and farther than the above-mentioned aircraft, which will greatly enhance the tactical assault airlift capabilities of the US Air Force and Army. In the past, due to their limited range, the above-mentioned various helicopters had to be transported by transport aircraft to the vicinity of the target area before being dispatched on their own. The CV-22 eliminates these troubles, and its suddenness and reliability are greatly enhanced. To give a typical example, the CV-22 can arrive at any location on the Asian and African continent to perform the mission within one day after accepting the mission, and does not require the assistance of other aircraft types.
In order to better complete the above tasks, CV-22 is specially equipped with a large auxiliary fuel tank with a capacity of 7950 liters. In terms of electronic equipment, Raytheon's AN/APQ-174D terrain avoidance/tracking radar, two Rockwell Collins AN/ARC-210 radios capable of receiving satellite communications in real time, an improved electronic warfare system, a GPS positioning device, Digital maps and Motorola individual soldier communications devices. In addition, three hinged rope rappelling devices, three quick rope retracting devices and a life-saving hanging basket have been installed.
EV-22
The U.S. Army plans to replace the EH-1, EH-60, RV-1, RC-12 and OV with the EV-22, the electronic warfare variant of the V-22 -10 and other models.
HV-22
HV-22 is a planned assault airlift aircraft for the U.S. Navy’s Special Forces. It is used for naval combat search and rescue and can perform special operations missions and logistics support missions.
SV-22
SV-22 is a general-purpose carrier-based aircraft that the US Navy plans to replace the S-3 "Viking" anti-submarine aircraft. Its maximum combat radius reaches 1,205 kilometers. The SV-22 will be equipped with suspended sonar, magnetic anomaly detectors, sonobuoys and Mk-50 anti-submarine torpedoes.
WV-22
WV-22 is an early warning type planned by the US Navy and the British Royal Navy. It will be used to replace the E-2 Hawkeye early warning aircraft. It will feature advanced phased array radar embedded in the fuselage and wings, a so-called "smart skin."
Although the future of the V-22 itself is still unclear, its epoch-making design and advanced performance will surely occupy an important place in the history of aviation. At present, its civilian version is under intense development by Bell Company. The British Navy plans to use the V-22 as a replacement for the "Sea King" early warning helicopter. In 2000, there were two accidents involving aircraft crashes during the test flight of the CV-22, which led to increased calls to stop the V-22 program and the prospects became very bleak. In fact, the two accidents were not caused by tilting the rotor, but by cable faults and other reasons. However, after the September 11 terrorist attacks, the U.S. military realized that it was in urgent need of special operations aircraft, and the V-22 project made progress again. The current plan is that the first CV-22 aircraft will not be delivered until fiscal year 2006, and the initial combat capability will not be achieved until fiscal year 2008. Flight testing will resume in 2002, followed by low-rate production of eight aircraft for further testing.
In April 2002, Karen Runnels, the wife of a Marine who died in an MV-22 crash, formally filed a legal lawsuit demanding that the aircraft manufacturer bear liability for "substandard product quality and causing unreasonable danger." Liability for damages caused. Defendants charged include Boeing, Bell Helicopter, Marsh, BAE and several other companies involved in aircraft production. The plaintiffs demanded that these companies bear joint and several liability for death compensation and funeral expenses. Karen Runnels' 25-year-old husband was killed along with three other team members when an MV-22 crashed while training in North Carolina on the evening of December 11, 2000. It is expected that this lawsuit will have no obvious impact on V-22 and may end with an out-of-court settlement.
On May 29, the V-22 successfully conducted its first resume test flight mission. The V-22 completed 20 takeoffs and landings that day, and made multiple consecutive transitions from helicopter mode to tilt-rotor mode in the air. Everything went well throughout the testing process. Further trials will be planned based on this trial. In July, according to undisclosed U.S. congressional news, Congress approved an increase of US$278 million in funding for the purchase of 11 V-22 tilt-rotor aircraft in a series of budgets. Maybe it's time for the V-22 to finally pay off.
In August 2002, Aldrie, the U.S. Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics, stated that the Marine Corps' V-22 will be given another year to conduct testing, and then the Pentagon will make further decisions based on the test results. Make a ruling. The V-22 program office previously had a two-year flight test plan, but Aldrich said a year would be enough time to make at least a preliminary decision. The V-22 program office and contractor Bell said the Osprey is no more susceptible to vortex ring conditions than any other helicopter. The current debate between the two parties is whether the vortex ring state will cause the actual performance of the V-22 to be greatly reduced. The U.S. Department of Defense plans to adopt an alternative plan of improving the CH-53 and introducing foreign helicopters if the V-22 project fails. In early September, U.S. Deputy Secretary of Defense Aldridge visited the V-22 test flight site in person, which fully demonstrated the importance the Department of Defense attaches to this major project. At the same time, officials of the U.S. Marine Corps and Air Force V-22 tilt-rotor aircraft program expressed the hope that the continued flight tests will be successful, coupled with efforts to reduce production costs, and strive to attract international partners to join in to reduce risks.
In December 2002, Rolls-Royce provided the 100th AE1107C turboshaft engine for the V-22. The AE1107C is a member of Rolls-Royce's "One Core Engine" engine series, which also includes the AE2100 turboprop engine and the AE3007 turbofan engine. Rolls-Royce is the world's first turbine engine manufacturer to develop three distinct engines on the same engine core. The AE1107C engine is provided under a Power by the Hour (TM) civil agreement. In 2003, Rolls-Royce plans to deliver 22 AE1107C engines for low-speed initial production of the V-22 aircraft.
In January 2003, Bell Helicopter revealed that in order to further meet the needs of the Army, the company cooperated with Boeing to study the "stop-fold blade stop-fold" armed attack variant of the V-22. and wide-body tilt-wing modifications. The so-called stop-folding blade technology mainly refers to folding the tilt-rotor blades during flight, stopping using the rotor and using other propulsion power, so that the speed can be increased to a faster level. Bell has done some verification tests on this. The wide-body tilt-wing variant is mainly used to transport large armored vehicles such as the Army's high-mobility multi-purpose wheeled combat vehicle. The propeller disc of this variant is larger and more efficient. At the same time, the V-22 began carrier-based flight tests on the US Navy amphibious assault ship. In past tests, it was found that there was a risk of the aircraft flipping over when landing on the deck with the rotors spinning. The Navy hopes modifications to the flight control system will resolve the issue.
The test will also verify the V-22's ability to take off and land with one wing on the deck and the other wing on the water. Testing of the V-22's sensitivity to vortex ring conditions is planned for later.
On February 26, the V-22 successfully completed the parachute drop test. The test lasted for three weeks, with a flight time of more than 30 hours. The test content included a parachute bag trajectory test to verify the movement of the parachute bag under the influence of the aircraft wake; a skydiver suspension test. This test was conducted separately. It was completed when the V-22 was in fixed-wing flight mode and during the conversion process from helicopter mode to fixed-wing flight mode. The parachutist was replaced by a simulation model weighing 68 to 163 kilograms; in the container airdrop test, the container weight 227 to 454 kilograms, and a test was conducted to airdrop four bundles of containers. In addition, the impact of airflow on simulated skydivers or dropped objects was also tested.
In April 2003, the V-22's multi-mission radar low-altitude terrain tracking (TF) target test was successful. The signals generated by the multi-mission radar on the CV-22 participating in the test are processed by the mission computer and provide terrain avoidance prompts to the pilot, so that the pilot can fly the aircraft safely very close to the ground, including at night and in bad weather. conditions. During the test, the CV-22 descended to an altitude of 200 feet (61 meters) above the ground and overcame the effects of high winds and turbulence.
In May 2003, the U.S. Navy's V-22 Project Office announced that they had reconfigured the V-22 fuel tank and taken measures to improve the aircraft's performance. Specifically, the rear protruding fuel tank was removed and a fuel tank was added to the wing instead, thus overcoming the problem of center of gravity shift. Due to this change, the range of the MV-22 aircraft will be increased to more than 4,260 kilometers. The program developed a 430-gallon auxiliary fuel tank that will be demonstrated and used during the 2004 operational evaluation period.
On July 14, 2003, CV-22 No. 9 aircraft was modified and the antenna was rearranged, and it conducted its first test flight in more than two years that day. Aircraft No. 9 flew for more than an hour and completed the return-to-flight inspection, including the evaluation of basic flight performance, airspeed calibration, control quality, etc. The aircraft completed the experimental test in the transition state, that is, the state between the helicopter and the aircraft. Previously, because tests of the aircraft's electronic warfare equipment in the U.S. Air Force Flight Test Center's Benefield absorber chamber revealed that its antenna installation was defective, Aircraft No. 9 spent two years undergoing many modifications, including upgrading electronic and hydraulic lines, and installing Electronic warfare and anti-heat-seeking missile installations. Beginning in October and ending in March 2004, the project will enter the next phase, which will test avionics systems, electronic warfare and multi-mode radar. In the summer of 2004, the aircraft will be converted into a typical layout for final production.