Oh for ****'s sake! They're sending Ospreys to Iraq!

[Recursion]

For those not familiar with the Osprey's track record, let me summarize:

The V-22 Osprey is a multi-billion dollar "joint" (though only the Corps seems to be saddled with it) mixed vertical/short take off and landing propeller-driven plane. Its wings can tilt up so that the propellers work like a helicopter's, or forward so they work like a normal plane's. The problem is, the damn thing doesn't work, can't switch in flight like it's supposed to, and has a proven track record of crashing unexpectedly.

http://kvoa.com/Global/story.asp?S=7160143&nav=HMO6HMaY

What, did they decide that muj aren't killing enough Marines so they need to send badly-designed and -built aircraft to finish the job?

:mad:

[Clovis Sangrail]

1. sometimes....

all you can do is laugh

:rofl:

[Kutjara]

2. To be fair, the Osprey does...

...land vertically. Usually at high speed and upside down.

[Recursion]

3. *snort*

You owe me a keyboard :)

[leveymg]

13. They call it a "fixed-wing" aircraft,

until one of them snaps off.

[youthere]

20. That's what it says in the mechanics report:

Fixed wing...Several times.

[madokie]

22. or nose first or ass first

sure glad they didn't have them things when I was in the navy cause I would have been court martialed if I was ordered to ride on one as i wouldn't have done it, no way in hell.

[charlie]

4. And the guns only point backward

Congressional district pork is paramount. Way it's always been. I feel sorry for the walking dead that have to make do with the junk foisted on them.

[Recursion]

5. And you have to open the door to shoot it

For those who don't know, we're not kidding. There's one gun, a 7.62 mm (like an AK-47), and it points backwards, and you can only shoot when your own guys are jumping out of the back door. That is, you can only shoot when you don't have a clear field of fire.

There were studies of, oh, call me crazy, mounting a .50 caliber facing forwards that can always fire, but somehow that never made it into the final design...

[rusty quoin]

6. Note to self. Keep kids out of military till 2008

[zerox]

7. Enough with the kneejerk reactions.

The Osprey's problems have largely been resolved.

[Recursion]

8. By Darwinian selection, if nothing else n/t

[TomInTib]

10. Joke, right?

You got a link?

Some kind of proof?

If so, welcome to DU.

If not.....

[Richard Steele]

19. Oh? Revoked the laws of physics, did they?

:eyes:

[VP505]

21. Your right,

they have solved the problem, they will blend right in there with all the other wreckage piled up all over the place.

[jmowreader]

24. True dat

After all, they haven't grounded the entire Osprey fleet for parts falling off in inexplicable ways in...MONTHS!

[TreasonousBastard]

9. That's one way to get rid of them. n/t

[lonestarnot]

17. They look good in sand.

[caligirl]

11. HOLY SHIT, I said before and I will say it again, if the Osprey shows up in the mideast

be VERY CONCERNED!! They have the ability to go deep into territory9 read this as Iran) to rescue troops and bring them back to ships parked off shore. This is dangerous on a new level. If Iran isn't about to get some unwelcome guests I'm shocked. Hubby is a former marine helo pilot with big concerns about this.

[unhappycamper]

12. I posted an article on 9.18 in the Veterans forum about this deployment:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=259x4307

[Rene]

14. Follow the money trail on this one....I'm sure you'll find a wh connection in business.

[catnhatnh]

15. Quite honestly....

...we are running out of helicopters and will be forced to use these instead.Nearest analogy is running out of bullets so you through the gun at the bad guys-kinda like a "Hail Mary" but without the ability to autorotate....

[havocmom]

23. Then there is the theory that the cheney junta just doesn't want any Veterans

No survivors, no need to fund their care. Compassionate Conservatism marches on.

[aikoaiko]

16. They buzz around town out of the local army base here.

They make a weird sound. Different from other propeller planes or helicopters.

[SpiralHawk]

18. "This was my brilliant idea" - Commander AWOL

"Although I must confess, I did gather invaluable military profiteering 'intelligence' on this particular strategery from Dickie 'Five Military Deferments' Cheney, my Vice Commander -- Smirk, smirk, smirk

"The troops can has full confidence in us, because are like so so totally Macho and stuff, despite being republicon chickenhawk war profiteers - smirk, smirk, smirk"

- Commander AWOL