Powered Lift

[WMUSIGPI]

Anyone know the status of the 609 (I think that is the designator) civilian tiltrotor program. I think that would be an interesting ride.

 

[EagleRJ]

It's still in flight test. Bell flies the prototype every so often, but I don't think it's been out of helicopter mode yet.
I think Bell/Boeing is taking it slow on the 609. The industry isn't really sure yet about issues like regulations, training and insurance, and they're still a little leery about the whole concept considering the issues with the Osprey.

 

[GVFlyer]

It's still in flight test. Bell flies the prototype every so often, but I don't think it's been out of helicopter mode yet.
I think Bell/Boeing is taking it slow on the 609. The industry isn't really sure yet about issues like regulations, training and insurance, and they're still a little leery about the whole concept considering the issues with the Osprey.

One of the Test Pilots at Gulfstream was offered a job on the 609 when he first came out of the military. After reviewing the program, he thought he had more of a future at Gulfstream.

GV

 

[Birdstrike]

...The industry isn't really sure yet about issues like regulations, training and insurance...

And safety. I tip my hat to anyone flying tiltrotors.

 

[EagleRJ]

And safety. I tip my hat to anyone flying tiltrotors.

I have a friend working on the project, and he says the primary concern for the Osprey's enemies on the Hill and in the Pentagon hasn't been safety, but dispatch reliability. The aircraft's readiness has been nowhere near what is required to enter operational status, and the cost and delays required to address problems have been testing the patience of those who want to kill the project.

As for the Osprey's safety record, I know the fatal accident at Pax River was caused by an engine fire that destroyed the carbon fiber cross-drive shaft that lets one engine drive both rotors. The driveshaft has now been redesigned.
The accident in the desert that killed all the Marines was a result of 'settling with power', which all helicopter pilots are taught about and learn to avoid. It was an inevitable result of taking airplane pilots and teaching them helicopter flying in order to fly a tiltrotor, rather than taking helicopter pilots and teaching them to fly in airplane-mode.

If they can improve the reliability, I see a bright future for the Osprey (and the 609). The Harrier saw similar problems and had a reputation as a Widowmaker during introduction both with the Royal Navy and the US Marines, and it has become a valuable asset for both countries. I can see tiltrotors enjoying a similar future once they work all the bugs out.

 

[skiddriver]

There have been four V-22 crashes.

One crashed due to a control system malfunction with no fatalities. The roll rate sensors were wired backwards and the aircraft crashed in a hover.

One crashed into the Potomac River during approach after the engine came apart when it ingested trapped oil that had leaked and pooled in the engine nacelle, and was routed into the intake as the nacelle was translated into hover position. The engine caught on fire and the cross drive shaft did fail, but it appears that these were merely ancillary to the engine exploding. There was some discussion at the time that the ingested fluid was hydraulic fluid, but the consensus was that it was transmission fluid from an improperly installed oil seal.

One crashed in Arizona when the pilot entered vortex ring state due to low airspeed and high sink rate trying to get into a landing zone he had overshot during a night operational test event. Lots of discussion over whether the former C-130 pilot had sufficient training to recognize and avoid the settling with power regime he put the aircraft into. Probably time to let him RIP.

The final accident in North Carolina was caused by a cracked hydraulic line which exposed a software glitch in the triple redundant flight control software which effectively locked the out the pilot's control inputs.

It's a complex aircraft with significant reliability and maintainability issues. Has great potential for service, if the Marines can work those out.