On Mar 31, 2:11*am, Kerryn Offord wrote:
Matt Wiser wrote:
Bet you won't have Vkince or the other "Bash the Osprey" crowd admit that.
They're so fixated on bashing the V-22 that they don't suggest any
alternatives, other than a "generic" helo.

SNIP

Any other generic helicopter can do nearly everything the V-22 can do,
and are cheaper, more reliable, and have a lot more room inside (So
troops can not only stand up, but walk out the back side by side.

The "problem" is. these "generic" helicopters aren't made in the US (If
the UH-60 series isn't considered suitable).

NH-90http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NHI_NH90
Specifications
General characteristics
* * ** Crew: 2 pilots and a mechanic
* * ** Capacity: 20 troops/12 stretchers
* * ** Length: 16.13 m (52 ft 11 in)
* * ** Rotor diameter: 16.30 m (53 ft 5¾ in)
* * ** Height: 5.23 m (17 ft 2 in)
* * ** Empty weight: 5,400 kg (11,900 lb)
* * ** Max takeoff weight: 10,600 kg (23,370 lb)
* * ** Powerplant: 2× Rolls-Royce Turbomeca RTM322-01/9 turboshaft,
1,662 kW (2,230 shp) each, or:
* * ** Powerplant: 2× General Electric T700-T6E turboshafts, 1,577 kW
(2,115 shp) each
Performance
* * ** Maximum speed: 300 km/h (162 knots, 186 mph)
* * ** Range: 800 km, 497 mi (TTH); 1,000 km, 621 mi (NFH) ()
* * ** Service ceiling: 2,960 m (9,711 ft)
* * ** Rate of climb: 480 m/min (1,574 ft/m)

and EH-101 (medium lift..)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EH-101
Specifications (Merlin HM1)
RAF Merlins testing flares

General characteristics

* * ** Crew: 4
* * ** Capacity:
* * * * * *o 24 seated troops or
* * * * * *o 45 standing troops or
* * * * * *o 16 stretchers with medics
* * ** Length: 22.81 m (74 ft 10 in)
* * ** Rotor diameter: 18.59 m (61 ft 0 in)
* * ** Height: 6.65 m (21 ft 10 in)
* * ** Disc area: 271 m² (2,992 ft²)
* * ** Empty weight: 10,500 kg (23,150 lb)
* * ** Useful load: 5,443 kg (12,000 lb)
* * ** Max takeoff weight: 15,600 kg (32,188 lb)
* * ** Powerplant: 3× Rolls-Royce/Turbomeca RTM322-01 turboshafts, 1,725
kW (2,312 shp) each
Performance
* * ** Never exceed speed: 309 km/h (167 knots, 192 mph)
* * ** Range: 1,389 km (750 nm, 863 mi)
* * ** Service ceiling: 4,575 m (15,000ft)
* * ** Rate of climb: 10.2 m/s (2,000 ft/min)
* * ** Disc loading: 53.8 kg/m² (11.01 lb/ft²)
* * ** Power/mass: 284.9 W/kg (0.174 shp/lb)
Armament
* * ** Guns: 5× general purpose machine guns
* * ** Bombs: 960 kg (2,116 lb) of anti-ship missiles (up to 2), homing
torpedoes (up to 4), depth charges and rockets
Avionics
* * ** Smiths Industries OMI SEP 20 dual-redundant digital automatic
flight control system
* * ** Navigation systems:
* * * * * *o BAE Systems LINS 300 ring laser gyro, Litton Italia
LISA-4000 strapdown AHRS (naval variants)
* * * * * *o Tactical air navigation (TACAN), VHF Omnidirectional Radio
range (VOR), instrument landing system (ILS)
* * ** Radar:
* * * * * *o Selex Galileo Blue Kestrel 5000 maritime surveillance radar
(ASW RN EH101s)
* * * * * *o Eliradar MM/APS-784 maritime surveillance radar (ASW
Italian EH101s)
* * * * * *o Eliradar HEW-784 air/surface surveillance radar (AEW variants)
* * * * * *o Officine Galileo MM/APS-705B search/weather radar (Italian
Navy Utility EH101s)
* * * * * *o Telephonics RDR-1600 weather avoidance radar (Royal Danish
Air Force EH101s)
* * * * * *o Galileo APS-717 search/surveillance radar (Portuguese Air
Force EH101s)

Meanwhile the V-22...http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/V-22
Specifications (MV-22B)
Data from Boeing Integrated Defense Systems,[49] Naval Air Systems
Command,[50] US Air Force CV-22 fact sheet,[51] and Norton[52]
General characteristics
* * ** Crew: two pilots
* * ** Capacity: 24 troops (seated), 32 troops (floor loaded) or up to
15,000 lb of cargo
* * ** Length: 57 ft 4 in (17.5 m)
* * ** Rotor diameter: 38 ft 0 in (11.6 m)
* * ** Wingspan: 45 ft 10 in (14 m)
* * ** Width with rotors: 84 ft 7 in (25.8 m)
* * ** Height: 22 ft 1 in/6.73 m; overall with nacelles vertical (17 ft
11 in/5.5 m; at top of tailfins)
* * ** Disc area: 2,268 ft² (212 m²)
* * ** Wing area: 301.4 ft² (28 m²)
* * ** Empty weight: 33,140 lb (15,032 kg)
* * ** Loaded weight: 47,500 lb (21,500 kg)
* * ** Max takeoff weight: 60,500 lb (27,400 kg)
* * ** Powerplant: 2× Rolls-Royce Allison T406/AE 1107C-Liberty
turboshafts, 6,150 hp (4,590 kW) each
Performance
* * ** Maximum speed: 305 knots (351 mph, 565 km/h) max operating at
15,000 ft[53]
* * ** Cruise speed: 241 knots (277 mph, 446 km/h) at sea level
* * ** Range: 879 nmi (1,011 mi, 1,627 km)
* * ** Combat radius: 370 nmi (430 mi, 690 km)
* * ** Ferry range: 2,417 nmi (2,781 mi, 4,476 km)
* * ** Service ceiling: 26,000 ft (7,925 m)
* * ** Rate of climb: 2,320 ft/min (11.8 m/s)
* * ** Disc loading: 20.9 lb/ft² @ 47,500 lb GW (102.23 kg/m²)
* * ** Power/mass: 0.259 hp/lb (427 W/kg)

The EH-101 will be license-built here as the VH-71 "Marine One" helo,
and will probably be adopted by the USAF for a CSAR requirement (a do-
over was ordered after Boeing's problems surfaced the HH-47). NIH
is very strong, and you'd have to have a very good reason to buck that
trend. A coproduction arrangement with most assembly work done here
helps do that. The AF's CSAR community, from what the various aviation
magazines have said, prefers the HH-71 variant, and that it was
strongly implied that the HH-47 was a sop to Boeing for having that
tanker lease deal fall flat. The USMC, though, insists on V-22. And
the AF version is also entering service for Spec Ops work.