Saw something very unusual

[caryc]

I live about 20 miles as the crow flies from March Air Force base in Riverside California. I see airfcraft fly over my place often. The other day, I was outside working on my tractor and I heard this noise. It sounded kind of like if you were at the drag races and standing at the starting line when a slingshot rail took off.

I looked up and saw an Osprey flying right over me. It was unusually low hence all the noise. I didn't think they were as big as this thing looked but as I said at was so close to the ground.

One thing I was wondering about was that when he flew over me, he had his engines fully upright in the vertical position. I'm aware that the engines can rotate from a vertical position to a horizontal position. So, I was wondering that since he was in a horizontal flight, why he had those engines in the vertical position?

I kind of thought that when in horizontal flight that the engines would be in a horizontal position. I may be wrong but what I was thinking was that with the engines in a horizontal position they may be able to fly faster in a horizontal flight. Then with the engines in the vertical position, they could still fly in a horizontal flight, but slower like a helicopter. He could have been flying slow since he was so close to the ground. I've lived here for 45 years now and this is the first time I've seen one of these things fly over my place.

Anybody have any knowledge of this aircraft?

 

[Ale-8(1)]

Cary, I just watched this video . . .

https://youtu.be/xnOw3clRIoI

. . . and it appears to me they are able to do horizontal motion with very tiny percentages of "forward tilt" to the engines. Don't know why or how, but it sure looks like it. JMHO :)

Possibly something to do with blade pitch?

I'm sure there's somebody here with a real explanation.

 

[caryc]

Cary, I just watched this video . . .

https://youtu.be/xnOw3clRIoI

. . . and it appears to me they are able to do horizontal motion with very tiny percentages of "forward tilt" to the engines. Don't know why or how, but it sure looks like it. JMHO :)

Possibly something to do with blade pitch?

I'm sure there's somebody here with a real explanation.

Thanks for the video. It was like I figured, they use the engines in horizontal position for more speed in horizontal flight. As far as giving the engines a little forward tilt and creating forward flight, next time you see a helicopter, take a look at the rotor blades. The front of the blades are lower than the back of the blades, giving it the forward motion just like that Osprey. There is a pretty good write up on Wikipedia with lots of good info. I found another good picture that showed the very long rotor blades in a folded up position, just like a flowers petals are before it opens up. The wing sections will also rotate 90 degrees so they can fold back along the body of the aircraft for storage. There was a lot of engineering that went into that thing. It seems they developed it after all those Navy Seals were lost in that operation that went bad and the helicopters crashed. If you want to buy one, you'd better scrape up 72.4 million bucks.

I still wonder what it was doing flying over my place with the engines in vertical position for helicopter like flight. As I said, the air base is like 20 miles from my place. He was headed south so maybe he was headed for the Camp Pendalton Marine base down in San Diego.

 

[Poco Oso]

Great video. That aircraft never ceases to amaze me.

 

[Robb Barnes]

My daughter in law flies those for the AF Special Ops and they are really something to watch take off and land. The blades are so long that if the engine is tilted to horizontal, the blades have to be stages with one straight up so the others will be at enough of an angle to not touch the ground. I asked her about flying them and she said they are actually easier than the Huey she flew for the Survival school in Spokane simply due to the computer automation and safety overrides in the osprey. I have a picture of my son sitting near the back of one of these with the rear cargo door open as they flew over the Tower Bridge in London with his wife flying the one behind. At the time he flew the KC-135 tanker that refuels other planes.

 

[DeletedMember275]

I used to see Ospreys fairly often while at Yuma Proving Ground. The Marines would fly in and out on them, when they were training at YPG. They're larger than I had anticipated, and quite noisy. An interesting aircraft, for sure.

 

[Bob Wright]

A couple of years aback a B-25 was flown into Memphis at the old Millington Naval Air Station. I went out to photograph it and whie there noticed a flock of those Ospreys parked not too far away. They had been flown in from Pensacola as a hurricane was developing there.



Bob Wright

 

[Ale-8(1)]

As far as giving the engines a little forward tilt and creating forward flight, next time you see a helicopter, take a look at the rotor blades. The front of the blades are lower than the back of the blades, giving it the forward motion just like that Osprey.

Yeah, I knew that. And they can of course fly much slower with the motors vertical (helicopter-like) and are more maneuverable at the low speeds so configured. Neat critters. :wink:

 

[bobski]

glad to hear Millington air strip is still active...one way or another.

 

[Fox Mike]

I have a book about the design and development of the Osprey that I plan to post as a KARMA in a couple weeks. It is a VERY interesting aircraft and story behind it.

 

[Colonialgirl]

A couple of years aback a B-25 was flown into Memphis at the old Millington Naval Air Station. I went out to photograph it and whie there noticed a flock of those Ospreys parked not too far away. They had been flown in from Pensacola as a hurricane was developing there.



Bob Wright

My Dad was stationed at Millington when I was in the third/fourth grade; He taught algebra in the old training center that was located there. Loved the swimming pool they had on base.

 

[blume357]

Drones use four horizontal props that don't tilt at all just vary in speed.... the one I use for work has a maximum horizontal over ground speed of 55mph.

 

[vito]

I know that the Marines and the Air Force use them. Wonder why the Army does not, as it seems such a versatile aircraft.

 

[Bob Wright]

I know that the Marines and the Air Force use them. Wonder why the Army does not, as it seems such a versatile aircraft.

Remember the old saying, "Why buy the cow when milk is free?" The Army has full use of those that belong to the Air Force.

Bob Wright

 

[toysoldier]

I still wonder what it was doing flying over my place with the engines in vertical position for helicopter like flight.

You don't happen to live near a nudist facility, do you?

 

[Jeepnik]

I know that the Marines and the Air Force use them. Wonder why the Army does not, as it seems such a versatile aircraft.

Years ago an agreement between the various branches spelled out what types of aircraft the could fly. The USA being the parent of the USAF got the short end of the stick.

 

[caryc]

A couple of years aback a B-25 was flown into Memphis at the old Millington Naval Air Station. I went out to photograph it and whie there noticed a flock of those Ospreys parked not too far away. They had been flown in from Pensacola as a hurricane was developing there.



Bob Wright

A flock of Ospreys, good one Bob :mrgreen:

 

[chm270]

Drones use four horizontal props that don't tilt at all just vary in speed.... the one I use for work has a maximum horizontal over ground speed of 55mph.

By slowing the front two props slightly, the processor gives the drone a forward tilt.

 

[ned]

The V22 was a huge part of my life during the late 80s when I was a contractor at Boeing Helicopter in Philadelphia. I was mad enough to kill a rock when Cheney canceled it....but life went on and I moved to Seattle for the 777 program...Today I rode the Harley (now in AZ) that I bought from a Boeing mechanic who died in the first V22 crash...great guy and a great bike FXSB--I've had it 35 years- always think kind thoughts of him when I ride it.

 

[RSIno1]

Saw them several times over downtown LA. Only when the Pres was visiting. I think they use them for cover for Marine 1. I remember when they killed a lot of people in them when they were new. Seems it took 6,000+ psi to run the hydralics and their hoses and fittings were only rated at 5,000 psi.