Yes, the Osprey can be finicky with cross/tail winds, not too big of an issue until about 20 knots. Pitch Up with Sideslip can occur with about a 45 degree quartering headwind. I've never experienced it operationally but have had a demonstration while at Pax. It's very noticeable yet not dramatic, just something to be aware of.
Without a doubt, it is possible to "over-rotate" the nacelles and run out of longitudinal stick authority. That's exactly why the flight manual states a limit of no lower than 75 degrees until 40 KCAS. Once the wing becomes effective, it's no longer an issue. However, the nacelles can move quicker than the acceleration, hence the warning. But again, we're only talking about 10 seconds of time and 1 or 2 degrees of nose in reality.
As you transition, if you don't apply aft stick, the Osprey will descend, primarily due to the changing thrust vector and not CG. The similar situation in a helo would be to nose over without adding collective, same result, the helo will descend. It's a similar issue just using a different control to counteract the effect. Also, the Osprey flies about 5-7 degrees nose high in airplane mode due to a combination of having zero angle of incidence in the wing and the thrust line being above the centerline of the aircraft. In simple terms, this will result in a constant descent if not counteracted. BTW, the wing has zero incidence because of the requirement to fold the wing and stow it on a ship. The unfortunate results are negative aerodynamics and thus, performance with a "draggy" nose high attitude.
Last edited by mckpave; 13th Jul 2012 at 17:37.