As is Matthew, I am also a big fan of new technology. Having said that, I am no fan of the V-22 tiltrotor. (And yes, it is strange standing on the same side of this particular fence as N.L.)
The V-22 is the wrong answer to the wrong questions. And in fact it is not "new technology." At least, not if you look at it's development track. I see a lot of literature referring to the V-22 as "in development since 1986..." which is more than a little misleading. Yes, that particular, specific make and model has been in development since the mid-1980's. But the V-22 is just an outgrowth of the XV-15 (1970's) which itself can trace it's roots directly back to the XV-3 which had it's genesis in...ready?...1953.
"New technology?" My arse. Bell has been working on this concept for over fifty years! and still hasn't been able to perfect it, despite what the V-22 lovers claim. It is a concept fraught with technical difficulties, and the V-22's capabilities could easily and more efficiently be equalled with more conventional VTOL designs. Right, Nick? Right, Dave?
But for some reason, the tiltrotor concept simply has this incredible momentum that inexplicably keeps it alive. And by now we've put so much time, money and effort into the thing that it would just seem irresponsible for the government to cancel it. Too embarassing to admit that we were- well, no other way to say it- wrong.
I think back to the original Lockheed Electras, and how one of those turboprop engines would get a-vibrating in a way that fed on itself until the wings cracked and flew off like those of a seaplane that's had too many rough-water landings. Of course we know more about vibration and how to deal with it now, but still I can envision numerous and awful scenarios for those proprotors on the V-22. I don't think the tiltrotor has shown us all of it's bad sides yet.
But maybe it's all worth it. Maybe the ability to send a speedy, unarmed aircraft with a squad of Marines (and a Growler!) off to a covert insertion in a remote "hot-spot," is the wave of the future. Maybe it'll be worth the half a century of development and billions of dollars invested. And maybe it'll keep the U.S. Marines in existence. Which, come to think of it, is probably the V-22's raison d'etre all by itself.