A crash in Hawaii of a V22 Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft was described as a helicopter crash. It killed one marine, and injured about 20 more. The Osprey program, while producing a revolutionary aircraft, has had a good share of crashes, and the Pentagon must be more than happy to call this latest one a helicopter crash. And, to soften things a bit more, the incident was described as a "hard landing", even as the video showed a column of black smoke, laced with flames, reaching into the sky. Right, a very hard landing.
The tilt-rotor Osprey combines the vertical takeoff and landing of a helicopter with the forward speed of a turboprop transport like a C-130. It's been in development for 20 years or more, and now in service. It costs a bundle. An argument could be made (has been made) that ordinary helicopters like the Jolly Green are cheaper, more dependable, their range could be extended by the use of air-to-air refueling, to give the same airlift for less money. The Marines like the Osprey and backed it all the way thru the various hurdles set up by the Pentagon to kill the program. Without the steadfast support of the Marine Corps, Osprey would never have made it to production.
I'm sure the Marine Corps is giving thanks to Fox New's support today.
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