Just wondering about the Osprey aircraft ...

It is impressive, but -
My impression is, if one engine/gearbox/rotor pod fails, the aircraft crashes ?
I can't see much chance of autogyroing to a landing even if the rotors are working.

Most twin-engine craft have extra safety, these seem to have extra risk.
I would re-design it - drive the rotors/pods with electric motors, with two gas turbine generators inboard.. probably cheaper as well.


RIP three brave young lives.

  Quote  

My impression is, if one engine/gearbox/rotor pod fails, the aircraft crashes ?

After just such issues early in development a drive shaft connecting the two gearboxes was added. That had its own problems for a while.
The above assumes my ageing memory can be trusted.

Edit

  Wiki said  

While technically capable of autorotation if both engines fail in helicopter mode, a safe landing is difficult.[75] In 2005, a director of the Pentagon's testing office stated that in a loss of power while hovering below 1,600 feet (490 m), emergency landings "are not likely to be survivable." V-22 pilot Captain Justin "Moon" McKinney stated that: "We can turn it into a plane and glide it down, just like a C-130."[57] A complete loss of power requires both engines to fail, as one engine can power both proprotors via interconnected drive shafts.[76] Though vortex ring state (VRS) contributed to a deadly V-22 accident, flight testing found it to be less susceptible to VRS than conventional helicopters.[4] A GAO report stated that the V-22 is "less forgiving than conventional helicopters" during VRS.[77] Several test flights to explore VRS characteristics were canceled.[78] The USMC trains pilots in the recognition of and recovery from VRS, and has instituted operational envelope limits and instrumentation to help avoid VRS conditions.[31][79]

Edited 2023-08-30 11:01 by phil99

A stall on one propeller when you are close to the ground doesn't give you much time
I wonder if this one was a result of hot air above the deck.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-08-29/a-us-marine-corps-mv-22-osprey-crashed-while/102786172