V-22 crash woes over, military says, By Tony Cappacio

V-22 crash woes over, military says, By Tony Cappacio

(EXCERPT) Bloomberg News

WASHINGTON - The U.S. military has a "widespread" understanding of an
aerodynamic phenomenon blamed for the April 2000 crash of a V-22
Osprey that killed 19 Marines, the Pentagon's chief weapons tester
says.

Thomas Christie, director of Operational Test & Evaluation, said in a
report to Congress that as a result of flight tests, improved flight
manuals and an on-board warning system, he is confident that the
military has a firm grasp on how to avoid additional crashes.

That's good news for Boeing and Bell Helicopter, which jointly
designed and build the V-22. The companies hope Pentagon officials
will approve full-rate production next year for what's scheduled to be
a $48 billion program to build 458 aircraft for the Marine Corps and
the Air Force's Special Operations unit.

The Osprey is a fixed-wing plane with rotors that tilt so the craft
can take off and land like a helicopter. The Pentagon aims to use the
aircraft for long-range Marine Corps and commando missions and has
spen...

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