Air International 2006-08
F.Colucci - Ospreys Hover Into View /Military/
Operational test and evaluation is being carried by the first production representative aircraft at Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico. USAF CV-22A is seen in helicopter mode over the White Sands.
On June 19, 2006 two Ospreys from the Marine Tilt-rotor Operational Test and Evaluation Squadron 22 (VMX-22) flew 2,100nm from their base at New River, North Carolina to Miramar, California. The flight was in preparation to fly across the Atlantic for the Royal International AirTattoo and Farnborough International Air Show in July.
This close-up view of a CV-22A clearly shows the Raytheon AN/APQ-174D terrain-following radar (housed in the thimble radome offset to port on the nose) and the chin-mounted Raytheon AN/AAQ-27 forward-looking infra-red turret.
A USMC MV-22 assigned to VMX-22 prepares to unfold its rotors on the flight deck of the amphibious assault ship USS Wasp during familiarization training in November 2005.
VMMT-204 is the only Fleet Replacement Squadron (FRS) tasked with training V-22 aircrews and maintainers. Currently, the unit is training Osprey aircrews from the marines, as well as the navy and airforce. MV-22, 165943, was photographed over the beach close to MCAS New River. With its engines in the horizontal position, as demonstrated here, the MV-22 has a maximum level speed of 275kts.
Majors Robert Freeland and Eric Brown formate on a fellow VMMT-204 MV-22 during the return to USMC Air Station New River following a late afternoon training mission. Four full-colour multi-function displays in the cockpit provide the MV-22 pilots with primary flight information and imagery such as forward-looking infra-red and digital map data.