Some cool weight loss images:
17_the first Battle of Bull Run:Manassas
Image by Jim Surkamp
About a young man from Sharpsburg and Shepherdstown who war changed into an avenging angel of death but who, at the foot of the gallows, found God.- JS.
1. Andrew Leopold’s Forlorn Hope (1) – by Jim Surkamp With Author Steve French
POST: civilwarscholars.com/?p=13287 5422 words.
2. Author Steve French on Andrew Leopold (Video Transcript & Link)
POST: civilwarscholars.com/?p=13367 2880 words
VIDEO: www.youtube.com/watch?v=W_9FQvYpQRs&feature=youtu.be TRT: 25:23
Made possible with the generous, community-minded support of American Public University system, offering a quality, affordable, online education. Interpretations in civilwarscholars.com videos and posts do not in any way reflect modern-day poilicies and positions of American Public University System. More at apus.edu
Andrew Leopold’s Forlorn Hope (1) – by Jim Surkamp With Author Steve French
Made possible with the generous, community-minded support of American Public University system, offering a quality, affordable, online education. Interpretations in civilwarscholars.com videos and posts do not in any way reflect modern-day poilicies and positions of American Public University System. More . . .
What is a mother to do?
1_Polly Zittle’s 22-year old son
Polly Zittle’s 22-year old son, Andrew – soon-to-be-hanged – had much to consider in his solitary cell in the deepest sanctum of Fort McHenry prison near Baltimore.
Warmaker Andrew T. Leopold (also Laypole, Lepole, and Isadore Laypole) had in his hands a small book that he hoped he could put in the hands of another prisoner who, unlike him, would leave the prison upright and alive.
2_The crash of battle shells
The crash of battle shells, the crushing of bones like lath and cries, the groans, the clash of sabers, the shrieking thrill of musketry, the shattering in general – had unleashed something fierce in Andrew, native to the gun – this one-time crew mate on a lazy Potomac canal boat, who a young girl named Mary described as: “well built, straight as an arrow, not handsome of face, but with an honest, grave face that one knew how to trust.”
3_He wrote in his cell on the blank leavesGlimpses_of_Heaven_frontispiece
He wrote in his cell on the blank leaves of “Glimpses of Heaven or, The Light Beyond Jordan”: My dear and kind loving mother, It is with the deepest sorrow that your humble son has to report to you the sad news of my unfortunate and much unexpected fate which is deemed for me by now. But be of good cheer. I have good grounds to think and hope that I go to a better world for I have cast myself on the mercies of our God. Look to his Son, Jesus Christ, who died upon the cross without sin that we might have eternal life by believing in him. I hope to meet you and my two sisters in that bright land where sin and troubles are no more and there to show forth love to God and Jesus Christ, our redeemer. My fate is that of a felon. I know not the day that I have heard from a minister of the Gospel that I am not to suffer death on “Hangman’s Day,” but that is poor consolation to you but it will be a consolation to know that I went willing and prepared to meet my peace maker. . . I write this hoping you may get this book and hope the gentleman who finds it may send it to you. May God be merciful to you is the prayer of your unfortunate son and brother.” – Spirit of Jefferson., April 19, 1898, Image 1.
4_Robert Baylor, the prisoner there from Charlestown
Robert Baylor, the prisoner there from Charlestown, also condemned to death but who had his commuted less than ten days after Leopold’s last, wrote in his diary that Leopold’s “Glimpses” book had underlined by Andrew many pertinent poetic lines.
5_1859_Leopold’s River of Peace
1859: Leopold’s River of Peace:
6_Andrew’s quiet days just before the war years
Andrew’s quiet days just before the war years on the deck and towing the lines for a canal boat are best put by a fellow boatman in the year 1859:
7_Only the almost inaudible ripple of the boat
Only the almost inaudible ripple of the boat in the water, the distant click of the mules’ feet, the purring of the river, the hum of insects, and occasionally chirp of a bird broke the stillness. It was almost an ideal state of repose. The days drifted by as a dream and as I look back, it was a very tranquil dream, day ran into day, sunshine into sunshine, with no care or thought for the morrow. – Ella E. Clark (ed.).
1860: War Clouds Stir Leopold To Action:
8_Even after the John Brown Raiders
Even after the John Brown Raiders, their capture, trials in a Virginia Court and hangings – Shepherdstown’s Hamtramck Guards and all militias, hard-marched even more in anticipation.
Ahead was the November election for president. Locals didn’t support Lincoln, but they didn’t support Breckinridge either. They preferred a pro-unionist “conciliator,” named John Bell. The Shepherdstown Register editor, John Zittle, the second husband of Leopold’s mother, wrote July 14, 1860:
9_There are four candidates for president
“There are four candidates for president of the United States. The contest bids fair to be the warmest ever known in the political annals of our country. The troubled waters appear so threatening to engulf us we can invoke the blessings of providence to direct us through.”
10_The Fourth of July celebration
The Fourth of July celebration at Big Spring held together – barely. It began “with the Hamtramck Guards; Capt. V. M. Butler with the spirited notes of the fife and the inspired music of the drum . . . All hands did justice in relieving the table of it’s ponderous weight of provisions ‘done up brown’ by our friend Martin Yontz,” wrote Zittle. Capt. Heskitt had earlier marched the Guards, the town militia, from the town armory in full parade dress, each man having fifteen rounds of blank cartridges. Auctioneer George McGlincey lifted his glass to:
11_The Union may the ship of state ride safely
“The Union . . . may the ship of state ride safely into port over the troubled waters.” Then C. W. Yontz counter-toasted: “To Virginia, so long as she contains the graves of Washington, Jefferson, and a Madison, she must be faithful to her glorious title of Old Dominion.”
12_Lincoln is elected. War begins
1860-April, 1861 – Lincoln is elected. War begins April, 1861:
The crisis at Fort Sumter, South Carolina changed hot words to hot guns. Virginia voted to join the secession, pending a referendum. With the secession vote planned the next day on whether or not to secede, these same local militias marched that night towards Harper’s Ferry to take the Federal arsenal.
David Hunter Strother, who joined the Federal Army, wrote of the night of April 18th at Harpers Ferry after the Federal guard blew up much of the armory to keep militias from capturing the arms there. The vote on secession in Richmond had not been completed:
13_many more were on the way
As the night advanced, the streets became more crowded with people from the town and neighborhood. By one o’clock (early April 19th) the fires had sunk in ashes, when, gloomy, chilled and fatigued, I sought a bed at the house of an acquaintance . . I did not sleep soundly and was frequently disturbed during the night by the sound of drums and the tramp of passing squadrons. . . . many more were on the way. – p. 14.
Among those on the way to enlist that April 18th was firebrand soldier William A. Morgan from his Falling Spring manse outside Shepherdstown, who was quickly made Captain of Company F of the 1st Virginia Cavalry and, as was his nature would take part in most major fights in his state and walk away from many horses shot from under him as the way of the warring life until peace arrived again at last.
14_Leopold, the next day, joined Company F
Andrew Thomas Leopold, the next day, joined Company F under Captain Morgan’s command – and influence. Two other young men about Shepherdstown, both about Leopold’s age, had the same intent to enlist in Confederate regiments and nearly at the very same time. Nineteen-year-old carpenter, Jacob Hudson, and seventeen-year-old Charles Ed Entler, a ferry boatman – were making the trip to Harper’s Ferry to join Company B of the 2nd Virginia infantry regiment under the command of this unknown, odd Col. Thomas Jonathan Jackson, with long days just ahead of sorry-making, endless drill.
15_tutelage and charisma of Capt. Morgan
But Leopold had a ferocious role model in the tutelage and charisma of Capt. Morgan.
So they all prepared. In June, Confederates under Gen. Joseph Johnston left Harper’s Ferry, eased upriver towards Falling Waters, encamping for their awaited first war-time brush with the Federal Army nearby. Leopold would come face-to-face with another mesmerizing cavalryman, J.E.B. Stuart, who, in early July on the eve of battle, told all his men in this camp:
16_you are ignorant of this kind of work
“Attention!” he cried. “Now I want to talk to you, men. . . . you are ignorant of this kind of work, and I am teaching you. I want you to observe that a good man on a good horse can never be caught. Another thing: cavalry can trot away from anything, and a gallop is a gait unbecoming a soldier, unless he is going toward the enemy. Remember that. We gallop at the enemy, and trot away, always. p. 116.
– More . . .
Leopold and Morgan – the “Reckless Invincibles:”
17_the first Battle of Bull Run/Manassas
Soon at the first Battle of Bull Run/Manassas Leopold and Morgan were both among the 150 men in the 1st Virginia Cavalry – thundering galloping, steam-nostril, horse weight hurling toward the panicked red-scarlet uniformed men in the New York Zouaves fleeing to anywhere, raised sabers at them. William Blackford remembered: “The tremendous
18_horses at full speed broke through
impetus of horses at full speed broke through their line like chaff before grain.”
Leopold was “Seeing The Elephant,” the phrase of all soldiers for beholding war’s immediate horror. It was described right after this July, 1861 battle by Morgan to his wife: By dawn the conflict began with the booming of artillery and the sharp reports of musketry, mingled with the hoarse commands given by the officers, the screams of the dying horses and the groans of the wounded which kept up without intermission until moonlight. Two whole cavalry front ranks went down as they entered the enemy’s line, myself and company were in the very center of their ranks.
19_balls flying thick all around
The balls flying thick all around – apparently as thick as hail and yet strange to say there was no one killed – two or three of us were slightly wounded, myself among the number. . . My horse, George, behaved nobly, never flinching at any time.
. . . But Others Deserted:
20_Unlike Leopold, Charles Entler
Unlike Leopold, Charles Entler and Jacob Hudson both deserted from Co. B 2nd Virginia, returning home. Entler was already back home, once again a ferry boatman at Blackford’s Landing. His B company of the 2nd Virginia had passed through Shepherdstown and
21_set on fire on June 13, 1861, the wooden covered bridge
set on fire on June 13, 1861, the wooden covered bridge across the River near the ferry. Wrote his friend, Henry K. Douglas: I saw the glowing windows in my home on the hill beyond the river . . . I realized that war had begun. . . and my soul was filled with revengeful bitterness. Two days later, on June 15th Charles Entler was reported as having deserted, resuming his ferry boat duties.
22_Jacob Hudson would desert
Jacob Hudson would desert the following spring on March 15,1862, also re-appearing in Shepherdstown, stricken from the rolls and out of uniform.
23_Leopold, though, warmed in the glow of a war-maker
Leopold, though, warmed in the glow of a war-maker:
24_Leopold wrote his mother from Camp Ashby
Leopold wrote his mother from Camp Ashby near Harrisonburg that he had a skirmish near Luray, where with sixteen men he routed a Yankee Camp, capturing 18 prisoners, wounding 12 and killing 5, capturing ten thousand dollars worth of medicines, clothing and supplies. – Martinsburg Statesmen (from the Shepherdstown Register), May 23, 1895.
This may have been an event May 6, 1862, reported with some differences by Federal Maj. Gen. Nathaniel P. Banks, U. S. Army:
May 7, 1862. The Fifth New York Cavalry had a sharp skirmish with Ashby’s cavalry (7th Virginia Cavalry-JS) yesterday near Harrisonburg. They (The Federals-JS) made a succession of most spirited charges against superior numbers, killing 10, wounding many, and capturing 6 rebels. Their conduct gave the highest satisfaction. Their chief weapon was the saber. The enemy does not show himself except by cavalry. – p. 456.
August 30, 1862 – Leopold The Avenger at 2nd Manassas/Bull Run:
25_Sergeant Leopold, of the Twelfth Virginia Cavalry, was in the thickest of the fight
Sergeant Leopold, of the Twelfth Virginia Cavalry, was in the thickest of the fight and acted most gallantly during its continuance. He was wounded in three places. – Official Report by his Brigade Commander Brig. General Beverly Holcombe Robertson – pp. 746-747.
Beverly_Robertson Image of B. H. Robertson.
800px-Second_Bull_Run_Aug30_1700 Source of map. Click on map to enlarge.
The cavalry brigade of Brig. Gen. Beverly H. Robertson and the regiment of Col. Thomas Munford raced to the extreme right of the Confederate position, hoping – with the support of four batteries of horse artillery – to block the retreating Union men at Lewis Ford.
26_I charged the regiment on the hill and drove them back
Col. Asher W. Harman of the 12th Virginia Cavalry, Leopold’s and Morgan’s regiment, wrote:
At Manassas, on August 30, about 4 p.m., I was ordered, with six companies of my regiment (A, C, D, E, F, and H), to support the Second Virginia Cavalry. I found the enemy occupying the hill to the right of the Lewis house, with the First [West] Virginia Cavalry, supported by a New York and the First Michigan Cavalry, drawn up about 200 yards in their rear.
I charged the regiment on the hill and drove them back on their support, which were in quick succession broken and driven back in complete disorder. I pursued them over the run and as far as the pike near the stone bridge, capturing many prisoners, among them Colonel Brodhead and Major Atwood, of the First Michigan Cavalry, the former severely wounded. My loss was 6 men wounded. – p. 752.
Author Eric Wittenberg wrote:
The men of Robertson’s brigade formed into line and, (Harman wrote) “in wedgelike form, dashed headlong toward the battle line of blue; and as the apex of this swiftly moving mass was about to pierce the center of their line, it wavered for an instant, then broke and fled in every direction.”
27_The charge of the 12th Virginia crashed into the West Virginians
The charge of the 12th Virginia crashed into the West Virginians and drove them back upon their reserves. As one member of the 12th Virginia later wrote, the West Virginians “broke and ran and we were after them with pistol and saber.” A member of the 4th New York noted, “The Secesh used their revolvers with a determination to slaughter some of our lads” Capt. William Porter Wilken of the 1st West Virginia was left to cut his way out, and only barely escaped capture when his horse bolted. He recorded, “I think nothing of charging against equal numbers, but to charge into a whole army of cavalry and infantry and artillery and see your comrades mowed down by by their sabres and the deadly fire of their musketry and cannon, is not particularly funny.”
The savage onslaught of the 12th Virginia broke the Union line and drove it back toward Bull Run.
28_Brodhead refused, the Confederate shot and mortally wounded the Yankee officer
Adjutant Lewis Harman of the 12th Virginia met Brodhead near the Lewis Ford. Harman demanded Brodhead’s surrender and, when Brodhead refused, the Confederate shot and mortally wounded the Yankee officer. Harman rode off with Brodhead’s horse, saddle, pistols, and sabre. Brodhead received a deathbed brevet to brigadier general for his valiant stand at the Lewis Ford. . . . the 12th Virginia pursued as far as the Warrenton Turnpike. In his official report of the campaign, Stuart pointed out that the melee at the Lewis Ford “was of remarkably short duration.”
The fight at the ford, however, had been severe. Robertson’s men suffered five men killed and 40 men wounded, including Munford. One member of the 12th Virginia, a Sergeant Leopold, was wounded in three places during the furious clash at Lewis Ford. Buford’s losses were heavier, with approximately 300 casualties. – pp. 746-747.
29_Robertson’s regiments swept down upon a force greatly outnumbering them
Stuart exulted in his official report of the campaign that at Lewis Ford, “… over 300 of the enemy’s cavalry were put hors de combat, they, together with their horses and equipments, falling into our hands.” Stuart bragged about his victory, stating “Nothing could have equaled the splendor with which Robertson’s regiments swept down upon a force greatly outnumbering them, thus successfully indicating a claim for courage and discipline equal to any cavalry in the world..” – Gen. J.E.B. Stuart’s Report to Gen. Robert E. Lee February 28, 1863, OFFICIAL RECORDS: Series 1, vol 12, Part 2 (Second Manassas) p. 737.
Winslow_Homer_Sitting_Federal
Leopold Becomes an Avenging Scout and Bushwhacker:
September – late October, 1862: Leopold, still fired by the battlefield, recuperates.
30_J.E.B.Stuart and his staff are resting at The Bower
31_overlooking the Opequon Creek
Confederate Cavalry General J.E.B.Stuart and his staff are resting at The Bower overlooking the Opequon Creek and will remain there until late, October, 1862.
32_Probably under the great oaks there, Stuart discussed
Probably under the great oaks there, Stuart discussed plans and met with Redmond Burke and Andrew Leopold to make them mail-carriers, horse-thieves, conscriptors, and his “eyes” along the rivers around Jefferson County.
33_Stuart discussed plans and met with Redmond Burke and Andrew Leopold
Marine Week Boston, 2010: Bell-Boeing MV-22B Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft flying away from Boston Common
Image by Chris Devers
Pasted from Wikipedia: Bell-Boeing V-22 Osprey
• • • • •
The Bell-Boeing V-22 Osprey is a multi-mission, military, tiltrotor aircraft with both a vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL), and short takeoff and landing (STOL) capability. It is designed to combine the functionality of a conventional helicopter with the long-range, high-speed cruise performance of a turboprop aircraft.
The V-22 originated from the U.S. Department of Defense Joint-service Vertical take-off/landing Experimental (JVX) aircraft program started in 1981. It was developed jointly by the Bell Helicopter, and Boeing Helicopters team, known as Bell Boeing, which produce the aircraft.[4] The V-22 first flew in 1989, and began years of flight testing and design alterations.
The United States Marine Corps began crew training for the Osprey in 2000, and fielded it in 2007. The Osprey’s other operator, the U.S. Air Force fielded their version of the tiltrotor in 2009. Since entering service with the U.S. Marine Corps and Air Force, the Osprey has been deployed for combat operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Contents
• 1 Development
•• 1.1 Early development
•• 1.2 Flight testing and design changes
•• 1.3 Controversy
•• 1.4 Recent development
• 2 Design
• 3 Operational history
•• 3.1 US Marine Corps
•• 3.2 US Air Force
•• 3.3 Potential operators
• 4 Variants
• 5 Operators
• 6 Notable accidents
• 7 Specifications (MV-22B)
• 8 Notable appearances in media
• 9 See also
• 10 References
• 11 External links
Development
Early development
The failure of the Iran hostage rescue mission in 1980 demonstrated to the United States military a need[5] for "a new type of aircraft, that could not only take off and land vertically but also could carry combat troops, and do so at speed."[6] The U.S. Department of Defense began the Joint-service Vertical take-off/landing Experimental (JVX) aircraft program in 1981, under U.S. Army leadership. Later the U.S. Navy/Marine Corps took the lead.[7][8] The JVX combined requirements from the Marine Corps, Air Force, Army and Navy.[9][10] A request for proposals (RFP) was issued in December 1982 for JVX preliminary design work. Interest in the program was expressed by Aérospatiale, Bell Helicopter, Boeing Vertol, Grumman, Lockheed, and Westland. The DoD pushed for contractors to form teams. Bell partnered with Boeing Vertol. The Bell Boeing team submitted a proposal for a enlarged version of the Bell XV-15 prototype on 17 February 1983. This was the only proposal received and a preliminary design contract was awarded on 26 April 1983.[11][12]
The JVX aircraft was designated V-22 Osprey on 15 January 1985; by March that same year the first six prototypes were being produced, and Boeing Vertol was expanded to deal with the project workload.[13][14] Work has been split evenly between Bell and Boeing. Bell Helicopter manufactures and integrates the wing, nacelles, rotors, drive system, tail surfaces, and aft ramp, as well as integrates the Rolls-Royce engines and performs final assembly. Boeing Helicopters manufactures and integrates the fuselage, cockpit, avionics, and flight controls.[4][15] The USMC variant of the Osprey received the MV-22 designation and the Air Force variant received CV-22; reversed from normal procedure to prevent Marine Ospreys from having a conflicting designation with aircraft carriers (CV).[16] Full-scale development of the V-22 tilt-rotor aircraft began in 1986.[2] On 3 May 1986 the Bell-Boeing partnership was awarded a .714 billion contract for V-22 aircraft by the Navy, thus at this point the project had acquisition plans with all four arms of the U.S. military.[17]
The first V-22 was rolled out with significant media attention in May 1988.[18][19] However the project suffered several political blows. Firstly in the same year, the Army left the program, citing a need to focus its budget on more immediate aviation programs.[20] The project also faced considerable dialogue in the Senate, surviving two votes that both could have resulted in cancellation.[21][22] Despite the Senate’s decision, the Department of Defense instructed the Navy not to spend more money on the Osprey.[23] At the same time, the Bush administration sought the cancellation of the project.[23]
Flight testing and design changes
The first of six MV-22 prototypes first flew on 19 March 1989 in the helicopter mode,[24] and on 14 September 1989 as a fixed-wing plane.[25] The third and fourth prototypes successfully completed the Osprey’s first Sea Trials on the USS Wasp in December 1990.[26] However, the fourth and fifth prototypes crashed in 1991-92.[27] Flight tests were resumed in August 1993 after changes were incorporated in the prototypes.[2] From October 1992 until April 1993, Bell and Boeing redesigned the V-22 to reduce empty weight, simplify manufacture and reduce production costs. This redesigned version became the B-model.[28]
Flight testing of four full-scale development V-22s began in early 1997 when the first pre-production V-22 was delivered to the Naval Air Warfare Test Center, Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Maryland. The first EMD flight took place on 5 February 1997. The first of four low rate initial production aircraft, ordered on 28 April 1997, was delivered on 27 May 1999. Osprey number 10 completed the program’s second Sea Trials, this time from the USS Saipan in January 1999.[2] During external load testing in April 1999, Boeing used a V-22 to lift and transport the M777 howitzer.[29] In 2000, Boeing announced that the V-22 would be fitted with a nose-mounted GAU-19 Gatling gun,[30] but the GAU-19 gun was later canceled.[31]
In 2000, there were two further fatal crashes, killing a total of 19 Marines, and the production was again halted while the cause of these crashes was investigated and various parts were redesigned.[32] The V-22 completed its final operational evaluation in June 2005. The evaluation was deemed successful; events included long range deployments, high altitude, desert and shipboard operations. The problems identified in various accidents had been addressed.[33]
Controversy
The V-22’s development process has been long and controversial, partly due to its large cost increases.[34] When the development budget, first planned for .5 billion in 1986, increased to a projected billion in 1988, then-Defense Secretary Dick Cheney tried to zero out its funding. He was eventually overruled by Congress.[32] As of 2008, billion have been spent on the Osprey program and another .2 billion will be required to complete planned production numbers by the end of the program.[2]
The V-22 squadron’s former commander at Marine Corps Air Station New River, Lt. Colonel Odin Lieberman, was relieved of duty in 2001 after allegations that he instructed his unit that they needed to falsify maintenance records to make the plane appear more reliable.[2][35] Three officers were later implicated in the falsification scandal.[34]
The aircraft is incapable of autorotation, and is therefore unable to land safely in helicopter mode if both engines fail. A director of the Pentagon’s testing office in 2005 said that if the Osprey loses power while flying like a helicopter below 1,600 feet (490 m), emergency landings "are not likely to be survivable". But Captain Justin (Moon) McKinney, a V-22 pilot, says that this will not be a problem, "We can turn it into a plane and glide it down, just like a C-130".[31] A complete loss of power would require the failure of both engines, as a drive shaft connects the nacelles through the wing; one engine can power both proprotors.[36] While vortex ring state (VRS) contributed to a deadly V-22 accident, the aircraft is less susceptible to the condition than conventional helicopters and recovers more quickly.[5] The Marines now train new pilots in the recognition of and recovery from VRS and have instituted operational envelope limits and instrumentation to help pilots avoid VRS conditions.[32][37]
It was planned in 2000 to equip all V-22s with a nose-mounted Gatling gun, to provide "the V-22 with a strong defensive firepower capability to greatly increase the aircraft’s survivability in hostile actions."[30] The nose gun project was canceled however, leading to criticism by retired Marine Corps Commandant General James L. Jones, who is not satisfied with the current V-22 armament.[31] A belly-mounted turret was later installed on some of the first V-22s sent to the War in Afghanistan in 2009.[38]
With the first combat deployment of the MV-22 in October 2007, Time Magazine ran an article condemning the aircraft as unsafe, overpriced, and completely inadequate.[31] The Marine Corps, however, responded with the assertion that much of the article’s data were dated, obsolete, inaccurate, and reflected expectations that ran too high for any new field of aircraft.[39]
Recent development
On 28 September 2005, the Pentagon formally approved full-rate production for the V-22.[40] The plan is to boost production from 11 a year to between 24 and 48 a year by 2012. Of the 458 total planned, 360 are for the Marine Corps, 48 for the Navy, and 50 for the Air Force at an average cost of 0 million per aircraft, including development costs.[2] The V-22 had an incremental flyaway cost of million per aircraft in 2007,[3] but the Navy hopes to shave about million off that cost after a five-year production contract starts in 2008.[41]
The Bell-Boeing Joint Project Office in Amarillo, Texas will design a new integrated avionics processor to resolve electronics obsolescence issues and add new network capabilities.[42]
Design
The Osprey is the world’s first production tiltrotor aircraft, with one three-bladed proprotor, turboprop engine, and transmission nacelle mounted on each wingtip. It is classified as a powered lift aircraft by the Federal Aviation Administration.[43] For takeoff and landing, it typically operates as a helicopter with the nacelles vertical (rotors horizontal). Once airborne, the nacelles rotate forward 90° in as little as 12 seconds for horizontal flight, converting the V-22 to a more fuel-efficient, higher-speed turboprop airplane. STOL rolling-takeoff and landing capability is achieved by having the nacelles tilted forward up to 45°. For compact storage and transport, the V-22’s wing rotates to align, front-to-back, with the fuselage. The proprotors can also fold in a sequence taking 90 seconds.[44]
Most Osprey missions will use fixed wing flight 75 percent or more of the time, reducing wear and tear on the aircraft and reducing operational costs.[45] This fixed wing flight is higher than typical helicopter missions allowing longer range line-of-sight communications and so improved command and control.[2] Boeing has stated the V-22 design loses 10% of its vertical lift over a Tiltwing design when operating in helicopter mode because of airflow resistance due to the wings, but that the Tiltrotor design has better short takeoff and landing performance.[46]
The V-22 is equipped with a glass cockpit, which incorporates four Multi-function displays (MFDs) and one shared Central Display Unit (CDU), allowing the pilots to display a variety of images including: digimaps centered or decentered on current position, FLIR imagery, primary flight instruments, navigation (TACAN, VOR, ILS, GPS, INS), and system status. The flight director panel of the Cockpit Management System (CMS) allows for fully-coupled (aka: autopilot) functions which will take the aircraft from forward flight into a 50-foot hover with no pilot interaction other than programming the system.[47] The glass cockpit of the canceled CH-46X was derived from the V-22.[48]
The V-22 is a fly-by-wire aircraft with triple-redundant flight control systems.[49] With the nacelles pointing straight up in conversion mode at 90° the flight computers command the aircraft to fly like a helicopter, with cyclic forces being applied to a conventional swashplate at the rotor hub. With the nacelles in airplane mode (0°) the flaperons, rudder, and elevator fly the aircraft like an airplane. This is a gradual transition and occurs over the rotation range of the nacelles. The lower the nacelles, the greater effect of the airplane-mode control surfaces.[50] The nacelles can rotate past vertical to 97.5° for rearward flight.[51][52]
The Osprey can be armed with one M240 7.62x51mm NATO (.308 in caliber) or M2 .50 in caliber (12.7 mm) machine gun on the loading ramp, that can be fired rearward when the ramp is lowered. A GAU-19 three-barrel .50 in gatling gun mounted below the V-22’s nose has also been studied for future upgrade.[31][53] BAE Systems developed a remotely operated turreted weapons system for the V-22,[54] which was installed on half of the first V-22s deployed to Afghanistan in 2009.[38] The 7.62 mm belly gun turret is remotely operated by a gunner inside the aircraft, who acquires targets with a separate pod using color television and forward looking infrared imagery.
U.S. Naval Air Systems Command is working on upgrades to increase the maximum speed from 250 knots (460 km/h; 290 mph) to 270 knots (500 km/h; 310 mph), increase helicopter mode altitude limit from 10,000 feet (3,000 m) to 12,000 feet (3,700 m) or 14,000 feet (4,300 m), and increase lift performance.[55]
Operational history
US Marine Corps
Marine Corps crew training on the Osprey has been conducted by VMMT-204 since March 2000. On 3 June 2005, the Marine Corps helicopter squadron Marine Medium Helicopter 263 (HMM-263), stood down to begin the process of transitioning to the MV-22 Osprey.[56] On 8 December 2005, Lieutenant General Amos, commander of the II MEF, accepted the delivery of the first fleet of MV-22s, delivered to HMM-263. The unit reactivated on 3 March 2006 as the first MV-22 squadron and was redesignated VMM-263. On 31 August 2006, VMM-162 (the former HMM-162) followed suit. On 23 March 2007, HMM-266 became Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 266 (VMM-266) at Marine Corps Air Station New River, North Carolina.[57]
The Osprey has been replacing existing CH-46 Sea Knight squadrons.[58] The MV-22 reached initial operational capability (IOC) with the U.S. Marine Corps on 13 June 2007.[1] On 10 July 2007 an MV-22 Osprey landed aboard the Royal Navy aircraft carrier, HMS Illustrious in the Atlantic Ocean. This marked the first time a V-22 had landed on any non-U.S. vessel.[59]
On 13 April 2007, the U.S. Marine Corps announced that it would be sending ten V-22 aircraft to Iraq, the Osprey’s first combat deployment. Marine Corps Commandant, General James Conway, indicated that over 150 Marines would accompany the Osprey set for September deployment to Al-Asad Airfield.[60][61] On 17 September 2007, ten MV-22Bs of VMM-263 left for Iraq aboard the USS Wasp. The decision to use a ship rather than use the Osprey’s self-deployment capability was made because of concerns over icing during the North Atlantic portion of the trip, lack of available KC-130s for mid-air refueling, and the availability of the USS Wasp.[62]
The Osprey has provided support in Iraq, racking up some 2,000 flight hours over three months with a mission capable availability rate of 68.1% as of late-January 2008.[63] They are primarily used in Iraq’s western Anbar province for routine cargo and troop movements, and also for riskier "aero-scout" missions. General David Petraeus, the top U.S. military commander in Iraq, used one to fly around Iraq on Christmas Day 2007 to visit troops.[64] Then-presidential candidate Barack Obama also flew in Ospreys during his high profile 2008 tour of Iraq.[65]
The only major problem has been obtaining the necessary spare parts to maintain the aircraft.[66] The V-22 had flown 3,000 sorties totaling 5,200 hours in Iraq as of July 2008.[67] USMC leadership expect to deploy MV-22s to Afghanistan in 2009.[66][68] General George J. Trautman, III praised the increased range of the V-22 over the legacy helicopters in Iraq and said that "it turned his battle space from the size of Texas into the size of Rhode Island."[69]
Naval Air Systems Command has devised a temporary fix for sailors to place portable heat shields under Osprey engines to prevent damage to the decks of some of the Navy’s smaller amphibious ships, but they determined that a long term solution to the problem would require these decks be redesigned with heat resistant deck coatings, passive thermal barriers and changes in ship structure in order to operate V-22s and F-35Bs.[70]
A Government Accountability Office study reported that by January 2009 the Marines had 12 MV-22s operating in Iraq and they managed to successfully complete all assigned missions. The same report found that the V-22 deployments had mission capable rates averaging 57% to 68% and an overall full mission capable rate of only 6%. It also stated that the aircraft had shown weakness in situational awareness, maintenance, shipboard operations and the ability to transport troops and external cargo.[71] That study also concluded that the "deployments confirmed that the V-22’s enhanced speed and range enable personnel and internal cargo to be transported faster and farther than is possible with the legacy helicopters it is replacing".[71]
The MV-22 saw its first offensive combat mission, Operation Cobra’s Anger on 4 December 2009. Ospreys assisted in inserting 1,000 Marines and 150 Afghan troops into the Now Zad Valley of Helmand Province in southern Afghanistan to disrupt communication and supply lines of the Taliban.[38] In January 2010 the MV-22 Osprey is being sent to Haiti as part of Operation Unified Response relief efforts after the earthquake there. This will be the first use the Marine V-22 in a humanitarian mission.[72]
US Air Force
The Air Force’s first operational CV-22 Osprey was delivered to the 58th Special Operations Wing (58th SOW) at Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico on 20 March 2006. This and subsequent aircraft will become part of the 58th SOW’s fleet of aircraft used for training pilots and crew members for special operations use.[73] On 16 November 2006, the Air Force officially accepted the CV-22 in a ceremony conducted at Hurlburt Field, Florida.[74]
The US Air Force’s first operational deployment of the Osprey sent four CV-22s to Mali in November 2008 in support of Exercise Flintlock. The CV-22s flew nonstop from Hurlburt Field, Florida with in-flight refueling.[5] AFSOC declared that the 8th Special Operations Squadron reached Initial Operational Capability on 16 March 2009, with six of its planned nine CV-22s operational.[75]
In June 2009, CV-22s of the 8th Special Operations Squadron delivered 43,000 pounds (20,000 kg) of humanitarian supplies to remote villages in Honduras that were not accessible by conventional vehicles.[76] In November 2009, the 8th SO Squadron and its six CV-22s returned from a three-month deployment in Iraq.[77]
The first possible combat loss of an Osprey occurred on 9 April, 2010, as a CV-22 went down near Qalat, Zabul Province, Afghanistan, killing four.[78][79]
Potential operators
In 1999 the V-22 was studied for use in the United Kingdom’s Royal Navy,[80] it has been raised several times as a candidate for the role of Maritime Airborne Surveillance and Control (MASC).[81]
Israel had shown interest in the purchase of MV-22s, but no order was placed.[82][83] Flightglobal reported in late 2009 that Israel has decided to wait for the CH-53K instead.[84]
The V-22 Osprey is a candidate for the Norwegian All Weather Search and Rescue Helicopter (NAWSARH) that is planned to replace the Westland Sea King Mk.43B of the Royal Norwegian Air Force in 2015.[85] The other candidates for the NAWSARH contract of 10-12 helicopters are AgustaWestland AW101 Merlin, Eurocopter EC225, NHIndustries NH90 and Sikorsky S-92.[86]
Bell Boeing has made an unsolicited offer of the V-22 for US Army medical evacuation needs.[87] However the Joint Personnel Recovery Agency issued a report that said that a common helicopter design would be needed for both combat recovery and medical evacuation and that the V-22 would not be suitable for recovery missions because of the difficulty of hoist operations and lack of self-defense capabilities.[88]
The US Navy remains a potential user of the V-22, but its role and mission with the Navy remains unclear. The latest proposal is to replace the C-2 Greyhound with the V-22 in the fleet logistics role. The V-22 would have the advantage of being able to land on and support non-carriers with rapid delivery of supplies and people between the ships of a taskforce or to ships on patrol beyond helicopter range.[89] Loren B. Thompson of the Lexington Institute has suggested V-22s for use in combat search and rescue and Marine One VIP transport, which also need replacement aircraft.[90]
Variants
• V-22A
•• Pre-production full-scale development aircraft used for flight testing. These are unofficially considered A-variants after 1993 redesign.[91]
• HV-22
•• The U.S. Navy considered an HV-22 to provide combat search and rescue, delivery and retrieval of special warfare teams along with fleet logistic support transport. However, it chose the MH-60S for this role in 1992.[92]
• SV-22
•• The proposed anti-submarine warfare Navy variant. The Navy studied the SV-22 in the 1980s to replace S-3 and SH-2 aircraft.[93]
• MV-22B
•• Basic U.S. Marine Corps transport; original requirement for 552 (now 360). The Marine Corps is the lead service in the development of the V-22 Osprey. The Marine Corps variant, the MV-22B, is an assault transport for troops, equipment and supplies, capable of operating from ships or from expeditionary airfields ashore. It is replacing the Marine Corps’ CH-46E[57] and CH-53D.[94]
• CV-22B
•• Air Force variant for the U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM). It will conduct long-range, special operations missions, and is equipped with extra fuel tanks and terrain-following radar.[95][96]
Operators
•• 8th Special Operations Squadron (8 SOS) at Hurlburt Field, Florida
•• 71st Special Operations Squadron (71 SOS) at Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico
•• 20th Special Operations Squadron (20 SOS) at Cannon Air Force Base, New Mexico
•• VMM-161
•• VMM-162
•• VMM-261
•• VMM-263
•• VMM-264
•• VMM-266
•• VMM-365
•• VMMT-204 – Training squadron
•• VMX-22 – Marine Tiltrotor Operational Test and Evaluation Squadron
Notable accidents
Main article: Accidents and incidents involving the V-22 Osprey
From 1991 to 2000 there were four significant crashes, and a total of 30 fatalities, during testing.[32] Since becoming operational in 2007, the V-22 has had one possible combat loss due to an unknown cause, no losses due to accidents, and seven other notable, but minor, incidents.
• On 11 June 1991, a mis-wired flight control system led to two minor injuries when the left nacelle struck the ground while the aircraft was hovering 15 feet (4.6 m) in the air, causing it to bounce and catch fire.[97]
• On 20 July 1992, a leaking gearbox led to a fire in the right nacelle, causing the aircraft to drop into the Potomac River in front of an audience of Congressmen and other government officials at Quantico, killing all seven on board and grounding the aircraft for 11 months.[98]
• On 8 April 2000, a V-22 loaded with Marines to simulate a rescue, attempted to land at Marana Northwest Regional Airport in Arizona, stalled when its right rotor entered vortex ring state, rolled over, crashed, and exploded, killing all 19 on board.[37]
• On 11 December 2000, after a catastrophic hydraulic leak and subsequent software instrument failure, a V-22 fell 1,600 feet (490 m) into a forest in Jacksonville, North Carolina, killing all four aboard. This caused the Marine Corps to ground their fleet of eight V-22s, the second grounding that year.[99][100]
Specifications (MV-22B)
Data from Boeing Integrated Defense Systems,[101] Naval Air Systems Command,[102] US Air Force CV-22 fact sheet,[95] Norton,[103] and Bell[104]
General characteristics
• Crew: Four (pilot, copilot and two flight engineers)
• Capacity: 24 troops (seated), 32 troops (floor loaded) or up to 15,000 lb (6,800 kg) of cargo (dual hook)
• Length: 57 ft 4 in (17.5 m)
• Rotor diameter: 38 ft 0 in (11.6 m)
• Wingspan: 45 ft 10 in (14 m)
• Width with rotors: 84 ft 7 in (25.8 m)
• Height: 22 ft 1 in/6.73 m; overall with nacelles vertical (17 ft 11 in/5.5 m; at top of tailfins)
• Disc area: 2,268 ft² (212 m²)
• Wing area: 301.4 ft² (28 m²)
• Empty weight: 33,140 lb (15,032 kg)
• Loaded weight: 47,500 lb (21,500 kg)
• Max takeoff weight: 60,500 lb (27,400 kg)
• Powerplant: 2× Rolls-Royce Allison T406/AE 1107C-Liberty turboshafts, 6,150 hp (4,590 kW) each
Performance
• Maximum speed: 250 knots (460 km/h, 290 mph) at sea level / 305 kn (565 km/h; 351 mph) at 15,000 ft (4,600 m)[105]
• Cruise speed: 241 knots (277 mph, 446 km/h) at sea level
• Range: 879 nmi (1,011 mi, 1,627 km)
• Combat radius: 370 nmi (426 mi, 685 km)
• Ferry range: 1,940 nmi (with auxiliary internal fuel tanks)
• Service ceiling: 26,000 ft (7,925 m)
• Rate of climb: 2,320 ft/min (11.8 m/s)
• Disc loading: 20.9 lb/ft² at 47,500 lb GW (102.23 kg/m²)
• Power/mass: 0.259 hp/lb (427 W/kg)
Armament
• 1× M240 machine gun on ramp, optional
Notable appearances in media
Main article: Aircraft in fiction#V-22 Osprey
See also
• Elizabeth A. Okoreeh-Baah, USMC – first female to pilot a V-22 Osprey
Related development
• Bell XV-15[106]
• Bell/Agusta BA609
• Bell Boeing Quad TiltRotor
Comparable aircraft
Related lists
• List of military aircraft of the United States
• List of VTOL aircraft
References
Bibliography
• Markman, Steve and Bill Holder. "Bell/Boeing V-22 Osprey Tilt-Engine VTOL Transport (U.S.A.)". Straight Up: A History of Vertical Flight. Schiffer Publishing, 2000. ISBN 0-7643-1204-9.
• Norton, Bill. Bell Boeing V-22 Osprey, Tiltrotor Tactical Transport. Midland Publishing, 2004. ISBN 1-85780-165-2.
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to: V-22 Osprey
• Official Boeing V-22 site
• Official Bell V-22 site
• V-22 Osprey web, and www.history.navy.mil/planes/v-22.html
• CV-22 fact sheet on USAF site
• www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/aircraft/v-22.htm
• www.airforce-technology.com/projects/osprey/
• Onward and Upward
• "Flight of the Osprey", US Navy video of V-22 operations