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Thread: Gunship Osprey
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Old 13th Feb 2014, 16:51
  #12 (permalink)  
sandiego89
 
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: virginia, USA
Age: 56
Posts: 1,062
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Close Chopper, but no cigar. They have already armed the Osprey with the belly-mounted Interim Gun Solution (which is now a permanent solution), as well as ramp and door-mounted machine guns
IIRC there has not been a door mounted weapon on the Osprey. Rear ramp yes, side door no. I believe studies showed that a door (starboard only) mounted weapon would hamper crew/pax ingress/egress and was in line with the prop-rotor arc. The ramp mounted gun also restricts ingress/egress, but has been deemed acceptable, but only provides a limited arc of fire.

The Interim gun solution, the belly mounted turrent in the "hell hole" seems to not be installed on many sorties. The 800+ pounds cutting into usefull weight being a factor.

IIRC the chin turret that was usually part of early Osprey literature was deemed to upset CoG too much, with the Osrey already being nose heavy.

Armed Ospreys seem to have gone though a whole series of ups and downs.

Hellfires on sponson mounted rails would be usefull load.
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