I would like to put forth a few numbers for everyone to chew on. They may shed some light on exactly where the V-22 sits in the domain of air vehicles. The following numbers were obtained from a Bell/Boeing pilot’s guide. Calculations were made to provide an unbiased comparison.
Disk Loading - The V-22 with its 38.08 ft. rotors has a disc loading of 23 lbs/sqft at 52600 lbs. Typical helicopter disk loadings run from approximately 9.5 lbs/sqft for the Blackhawk to 14 lbs/sqft for the CH-53E. The higher the disk loading the more power required to lift an equivalent load. Also, a higher disk loading results in a higher rate of descent in an autorotation.
Wing Loading – The wing loading for the V-22 is again calculated for a 52600 lbs aircraft and compared to a few airplanes. It wing loading is calculated to be 174.51 lbs/sqft. For comparison, the wing loading for a Grumman Mohawk (Twin Turbo Prop) is 43.17 lbs/sqft., an F-104 is 105 lbs/sqft. and the Space Shuttle is 120 lbs/sqft. Typically, the higher the wing loading the greater the stall speed. On a good note higher wing loading makes for a better ride in turbulence.
Cost per Pound of Payload - The cost of transporting a pound of payload is another telling metric. The cost for transporting one pound of payload in a V-22 is approximately $4500 per pound based on $88,000,000 aircraft, a maximum VTOL gross weight of 52600 lbs and an empty weight of 33200 lbs. Buy comparison a 24 passenger AS-775 Cougar is $900 per pound.
I hope that this provides some insight as to exactly where the V-22 sits in the scheme of things.
