Making the Grade

The United States Marine Corps is famous for many things - bravery, courage, toughness, faithfulness - the list goes on. One trait that’s not on the list is Marines receiving the latest high tech gadgets - until now. The V22-Osprey is a tilt rotation aircraft. It’s able to take off and land like a helicopter but rotates its propellers to gain greater air speeds than any helicopter. The current war gave both the Marines and the Air Force opportunity to field test this vehicle. The Osprey proved excellent in troop insertions and medical extractions. It also showcased its versatility in out flying its predecessors - the CH-46E and the CH-53D. The Osprey moved at twice the speed and at a higher altitude - more than 10,000 feet. Both of these factors allowed the Osprey to easily evade enemy fire.

The V22 performed well in Iraq. The only consistent problem was with that the VTOL’s (Vertical Take Off and Landing) engines wore out faster than expected. It is unclear if this is due to Iraq’s sandy nature or an inherent problem in the Osprey’s engine design. The Osprey is able to transport 24 Marines 700 kilometers at a speed of 400 kph. The CH-46E could only transport 12 Marines 350 kilometers at a speed of 200 kph. The Osprey can carry weights up to 5 tons 135 kilometers. Once again, this is a huge improvement over the CH-46E only being able to carry 1 ½ tons 90 kilometers. Even with the engine wear problems, the V22 provides the Marines with a much better aircraft. Rolls-Royce, the engine company, is investigating the engine phenomena.

There are three prime contractors - Boeing Defense and Space Group, Bell Helicopter Textron and Allison Engine Company - are behind the development and construction of the V-22 Osprey. The Department of Defense has authorized the purchase of 26 Osprey for the Air Force and 141 V-22 aircraft for the US Marine Corps. Purchases will be evenly spaced out over the next several years until 2013. High-tech planes like the Osprey will greatly aid the Marine Corps execute its primary mission in the upcoming months.

Tags: business executive add content gadgets, awesome gadgets, gadgets, unique kitchen gadgets, hacked gadgets, make spy gadgets, gadget reviews