Originally Posted by
Stuff
I'm told that the matting that was thrown up was not actually the helipad but was a roadway for ambulances to get to and from the helicopter to transfer patients. The smooth surface provided by the matting is required for patients with some injuries eg spinal fractures. This explains why the matting is behind the Osprey as it starts to lift.
No, the aluminium matting was indeed the helipad and the CV-22 landed as planned, ramp close to the matting that provides access to the normal helipad area.
So why not land on the aluminium matting helipad?
Well it is a V-22 so, unsurprisingly, aluminium vs jet exhaust would not end well, even if the matting was of the required size & strength.
As an aside in the photo above you can see the rotors pushed to the first forward stop after landing. This minor change of angle made a big difference in reducing heat damage to steel decks & the thermal coating and as an added bonus it provides another option for dust management. They did aim for a slightly bigger angle but you then hit friction limits.
Still, a lesson learned and nobody has proposed a tilting nacelle on future tilt-rotors.