PPRuNe Forums - View Single Post - What's the latest news of the V22 Osprey?
Old 25th Jul 2006, 14:00
  #220 (permalink)  
NickLappos
 
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The concept of autorotation has two phases, descent and landing. The V22 can make an autorotational descent from powered flight (but probably not enter one from sudden dual engine failure). However, it cannot make an autorotational landing, due primarily to low rotor inertia and high disk loading, both of which make it very hard to terminate survivably. In helicopter mode, if a dual engine failure occurs, the V-22 will very likely crash. Most tiltrotor arguments about the lack of survivable helo mode autorotation tend to say (inaccurately) that all rotorcraft have great problems surviving total power loss.

It does have a wing, however, so if the engines quit while it is in airplane mode it can land power-off like many airplanes, albeit at fairly high speed, since its wing loading is like a jet's. That is the solution presented when people ask if it can autorotate.

The fundamental strength of its fuselage is high, and it was designed for occupant safety in a crash, so its overall safety should be like most military transports, or better.
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