The Osprey is here in Santa Fe, testing performance at high altitude and elevated temperature conditions. Not especially unusual, in and of itself. After all, helicopter detachments destined for Afghanistan are sent here to train and prepare for the same reasons. It’s just as high, hot and dusty, here, as the countryside outside of Kabul. Well, Kabul’s a little bit lower.
Absolutely conscious of our ongoing discussion about sanctions against picture-taking during the growth of the Bush Reich, I was appropriately nervous. So far, I managed to keep from getting busted. I was driving past the airport when I saw the Osprey returning to the deck from what had been a series of minimal maneuvers over the airport. As soon as I saw where it landed, I drove around to the fence alongside the test area — along with another half-dozen pickups, also driven by folks who were supposed to be working — and took this photo with the camera I always keep in the truck.
I have to admit, when it comes to new and unusual technology, there’s still a 12-year-old kid inside this particular old fart.
I’m pretty sure that flying these things won’t reduce the US dependence on foreign oil.
On the outside? Sixty-seven.
“Absolutely conscious of our ongoing discussion about sanctions against picture-taking during the growth of the Bush Reich, I was appropriately nervous.”
What, no straightforward knocks at the front door?? Boy, you must *really* be in trouble! 🙂
You like that tech stuff, eh?
Check out what Chrysler sells to the ChiComs:
http://www.jalopnik.com/cars/news/chinese-amphibious-assault-the-roadawg-116549.php
Oh… and I forgot to mention the obvious.. very nice photograph, Ed!
Interestingly, the Osprey is not new. In fact, the Navy has been trying to cancel it for years. They don’t want it. It is accident prone and unreliable. It has been forced on the Navy by Congress for years to keep jobs in the district of certain senators and congressmen. Maybe the bugs have finally been worked out, I don’t know. But to keep a vehicle that the service doesn’t want or really use? That my friends, is the definition of pork. Maybe this thing should be a flying pig.
The Osprey is another technology that didn’t live up to the hopes behind it – much like the space shuttle, and it was also developed by NASA. It was supposed to have longer range and higher speed than a helicopter and the vertical takeoff and landing capabilities of helicopters. However the improved range and speed are marginal compared with helicopters such as the Chinook, which by now is a very well proven technology.
It’s been in development for well over 20 years now, and it may one day have worthwhile results. From what I’ve read it’s still some way away from perfection, though.