Osprey - 3
by David Bearden
Title
Osprey - 3
Artist
David Bearden
Medium
Photograph
Description
Manufacturer: Bell Helicopter Textron
Services: USMC Power Plant: 2x Rolls Royce-Allison AE1107C turbo shaft engines Speed: 277 mph Armament: 1x M2 .50 Cal machine gun Range: 500 nm Payload: 24 troops Crew: Four (pilot, copilot and two flight engineers)
The MV-22 Osprey is the primary assault support aircraft for the U.S. Marine Corps. It was fielded to replace the CH-46 Sea Knight helicopter and has been deployed to support troops in combat since 2007.
The Osprey is unique in that it uses two engines positioned on fixed wing tips housed in nacelles that rotate to allow the MV-22 to land and take off vertically, but achieve much faster flight than a helicopter by tilting the nacelles forward while in flight in a configuration similar to a fixed-wing aircraft.
With the speed and range of a turboprop, the maneuverability of a helicopter and the ability to carry 24 Marine combat troops twice as fast and five times farther than previous helicopters, the Osprey enhances Marine assault operations. The Osprey's impact was felt immediately upon its arrival in Iraq. Commenting on its advanced expeditionary capabilities and staggering operational reach, a top Marine commander went as far as to say it turned his battle space "from the size of Texas into the size of Rhode Island."
Uploaded
August 20th, 2019
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