The Sultan sez:
I thought from posts on this thread that no one could stand near a V-22 in hover or fast rope from it. These videos make those posters look like fools!
I don't remember anyone saying that it was
impossible to fast-rope from it, or
impossible to stand near it - only that the undeniably increased downwash from the V-22 would make these things more difficult. And as we saw in that video, you can indeed fast-rope from an Osprey down to a nice flat, moderately dusty surface. Let us hope and pray that all such fast-rope operations take place in such predictably good areas.
But I guess the bigger question is why some people feel the need to have others look like fools? It's not about that. On another discussion forum, some anonymous poster (you know how I love them!) said that I had been laying low lately and not posting much because I'd gotten my "ass handed to me on PPRUNE." As if that actually happened (it didn't), and as if that was important to him. He seemed gladdened by the idea that I get a good beat-down because of my views or because I think I'm such a big friggin' expert on everything (I don't).
Strange. But it is what it is.
The V-22 proponents surely do seem to have a lot of personal investment in the aircraft. They absolutely take any criticism of it personally, and they often respond in kind, lashing out at those who aren't rabid fans. I've merely been critical (okay, highly critical) of the aircraft, and I've been called things publicly (and privately!) that you would not imagine. You'd think I was trying to stop aviation.
I watched the video of those Ospreys making their nice, slow approaches, and I thought to myself in my Billy Bob Thornton/Slingblade voice, "Those things sure make mighty fine targets, mm-hmm." And it made me wonder...
Much is made of the V-22's extra, humongous speed, and its ability to "swoop" or "zoom" into an area to insert or extract troops,
faster than a helicopter!! And yep, the Osprey can surely get there more quickly.
At some point the V-22 is going to have to convert
back to helicopter mode. This will happen at some predetermined distance from the LZ, on a carefully-planned approach profile. And so my question is:
From that point, if the Osprey and a CH-53 were side-by-side, which aircraft can get
into the LZ faster? We all know that the V-22 can "get out of Dodge" really fast, and that could be a big advantage if someone is shooting at you. But who gets
in quicker when someone is shooting at you? That's the important bit, yes? It's not like the V-22 is so stealthy that the bad guys aren't going to hear it coming until it's touching down or hovering while pooping soldiers out the back end (sorry, but that's what it looks like).
The helicopter pilot part of me knows that I could take *any* helicopter and get into an LZ damn quickly. But I'm no Osprey pilot, as has often been pointed out. So are they the same? Has anyone ever compared this? I am curious (Bob).
There are a lot of assumptions about the V-22 - conclusions to which we are expected to leap about how much "better" than a helicopter it is. I'm still not convinced.