Osprey to fly again

The V-22 Osprey is set to return to flight testing this month at the Naval Air Warfare Center in Patuxent River, MD.

After great debate on the Osprey tiltrotor's safety, the Bell Boeing V-22 is scheduled to resume developmental flight testing late this month at the Naval Air Warfare Center in Patuxent River, MD. The decision to resume with development work was made on December 21, 2001, when the Undersecretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics signed a Program Memorandum authorizing the return to flight, continued testing, and production of the V-22 Osprey. This Memorandum enabled the V-22 Joint Program Office to implement a carefully developed plan to correct the aircraft's deficiencies and resume testing.

Over an 18-month developmental flight test period, two MV-22 Engineering, Manufacturing Development (EMD) aircraft and three MV-22 low-rate initial production aircraft will return to flight with improvements in the routing of hydraulic/electric lines in the nacelle as well as an upgraded software system. Developmental flight testing will validate these engineering and software changes and further test areas, such as vortex-ring-state boundaries, dynamic shipboard compatibility, formation flying, combat maneuverability, and low-speed hovering and landing in dust and debris.

The V-22, which can take off like a helicopter and then rotate its rotors and fly like an airplane, entered low-rate initial production in 1999. The program had approached a major milestone decision to enter full-rate production when an MV-22 suffered a fatal accident during a routine training mission in December 2000. Since that time, two independent reviews conducted by a Department of Defense Blue Ribbon Panel and NASA Ames Research Center have assessed the safety of the aircraft and the maturity of the technology to carry out the missions of the military services. Both reviews have recommended that the program move forward with specific engineering changes and improvements that will result in a safer and more operationally capable aircraft. They also concluded that there are no inherent flaws in the tiltrotor design or known aeromechanics phenomenon that would stop the safe and orderly deployment of the V-22, and that the program should proceed with a phased approach in return to flight and fleet introduction.

A total of 1800 flight-test hours are scheduled for the flight-test program, which also includes testing of the aircraft's icing, cargo handling, and radar warning systems. Senior Defense and Navy officials have stated that they will assess the testing program at various stages and will not allow the program to move on until the engineers fully understand the results of earlier testing.

In July, the U.S. Air Force is expected to resume flight testing of the CV-22 at Edwards Air Force Base using two EMD aircraft that have been configured with Special Operations equipment.

"Now that we have an approved way-ahead plan, we will return to flight with a methodical and event-driven flight test program that will deliver an aircraft to the fleet that is safer and more capable than ever before," said Col. Dan Schultz, V-22 Joint Program Manager. "Event-driven means the V-22 program progress is based on a clearly articulated set of accomplishments, not a date."

Schultz further added that the V-22's comprehensive developmental flight-test program will investigate other areas of the flight envelope and be the most extensive testing undertaken of the vortex-ring-state phenomenon. "In this regard, we will dedicate one aircraft for one year of high-rate-of-descent testing and set the standard for flying every conceivable approach to this kind of situation," said Schultz.

Following flight testing, the Marine Corps is set to take delivery of a production aircraft that will have a redesigned nacelle and software system as well as reliability and maintainability improvements in 2003. The second phase of flight testing will include another operational evaluation period estimated to occur between late 2004 and spring of 2005.

- Frank Bokulich

Airbus continues building A380 supplier base

Airbus has selected Honeywell for the production of the A380 flight management system and Eaton for the production of tube fittings for the fluid conveyance system.

Building momentum toward an entry into service in 2006, the Airbus A380 program has made two supplier selections: Honeywell for production of the flight management system (FMS) and Eaton for production of tube fittings for the fluid conveyance system.

Honeywell's computer-driven FMS will manage the aircraft's navigation systems and assist pilots in flying optimum routes, including climb and descent. The system features new hardware for greater speed and will use a graphic display with pop-up menus and cursor controls rather than the conventional text-based interface found on other commercial aircraft. The FMS will still be operated via a keyboard, but will require less typing due to item selection availability, resulting in efficient data entry.

In addition to its A380 hydraulic system contract, which was awarded in October 2001, Eaton will supply Airbus with its Aeroquip Rynglok tube fitting technology. The all-metal lightweight titanium alloy construction and zero-leak design are suitable for the A380's 5000-psi hydraulic power generation system. The fittings will be used throughout the aircraft's hydraulic fluid conveyance system, which includes the primary and secondary flight controls and landing gear.

- Frank Bokulich