Osprey resumes flight test; tiltrotor future far from certain | Aviation International News

Osprey resumes flight test; tiltrotor future far from certain

With little fanfare and a lot of crossed fingers, flight test of the embattled Bell Boeing MV-22 Osprey resumed in the final days of May at the U.S.

By Bill Wagstaff

April 21, 2008

With little fanfare and a lot of crossed fingers, flight test of the embattled Bell Boeing MV-22 Osprey resumed in the final days of May at the U.S. Navy’s Patuxent River Naval Air Station in Maryland. The first day’s flight test since the tiltrotor design was grounded 17 months ago ended on May 29 with 2.5 hr logged, during which gradual hover and gentle takeoff and landing maneuvers gave way to a full conversion from helicopter to fixed-wing mode and airplane flight at speeds up to 250 kt.

“The long awaited return to flight was a success,” reported Marine Corps Col. Dan Schultz, MV-22 program manager. “The Osprey not only performed what today’s test program called for but exceeded our wildest expectations. We are excited about being back in the flight-test business.”

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