Fun with the USMC

by **hightimber** » Thu Apr 15, 2004 12:07 pm

Yeah, as I recall, the entire fleet was grounded for a few months. Folic, did you have any reluctance to jump in?

How did it feel when you made the transition from vertical flight to horizontal or did they not show-off that aspect to you?

by **Folic_Acid** » Thu Apr 15, 2004 1:03 pm

Yeah - it has had some crashes in the past few years, but they seem to have their house in order now. We rode with the CO of the test program, so I figured if it was good enough for him, it's good enough for me.

The flight was actually very smooth - much smoother than a regular CH-46. It can take off in either heli mode or a sort of hybrid mode (with the rotors tiltled at about 65 degrees). Ours used the hybrid mode for takeoff, then went to plane mode. You could tell when it changed modes, as the rpms slow down in plane mode, and the ride smooths out.

All in all, it was a great ride - a whole lot better than the CH-46. It's faster, more comfy, can hold more people and stuff, and can do more.

by **hightimber** » Thu Apr 15, 2004 1:14 pm

So you didn't do any strictly vertical flight? You landed conventionally (for an airplane)?

by **Folic_Acid** » Thu Apr 15, 2004 1:21 pm

No, we landed like a heli, actually. It's not possible to take off or land in plane mode - the rotors are too large to be at 0 degrees on the ground.

by **hightimber** » Fri Apr 16, 2004 12:46 am

Originally posted by Folic_Acid
No, we landed like a heli, actually. It's not possible to take off or land in plane mode - the rotors are too large to be at 0 degrees on the ground.

Cool and very interesting - I did not know that (can't land conventionally).

by **American McGee** » Fri Apr 16, 2004 4:36 pm

Okay, my question (not knowing much about this particular vehicle) is: is the basically a plane with rotating engine pods and enlarged rotors? Or is it a helicopter with wings and two props?

by **hightimber** » Fri Apr 16, 2004 6:41 pm

Originally posted by American McGee
Okay, my question (not knowing much about this particular vehicle) is: is the basically a plane with rotating engine pods and enlarged rotors? Or is it a helicopter with wings and two props?

Answer is...............: The former. A plane with VTOL (Vertical Take-Off and landing) capabilities.

by **Xenius** » Fri Apr 16, 2004 7:10 pm

Ever played Splinter Cell? The thing that picks you up at the end of some missions is the same machine. Just a random point.

Fun with the USMC

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