Story by Sgt. Sarah Fiocco
MARINE CORPS AIR STATION MIRAMAR, Calif. – Pilots with Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 163, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, demonstrated the unique capabilities of the MV-22B Osprey to more than 500,000 aviation enthusiasts at the 2012 Marine Corps Air Station Miramar Air Show, Oct. 12 through 14.
The presentation allowed fans to get an up-close look at two Ospreys’ abilities to transform from helicopter to airplane mode.
“It’s a two-in-one aircraft,” said Capt. Daniel Kaiser, an MV-22B Osprey pilot and a Vista, Calif., native. “We want to expose the public to what is in the Marine Corps’ aviation inventory. Most people have a general idea of what the aircraft can do, but they’ve never seen it in person.”
During the demonstration, pilots showcased the Osprey’s ability to perform vertical and rolling takeoffs, high-speed passes at a maximum airspeed of 320 miles per hour and transitions from helicopter to airplane mode in midair.
The ultimate mission of the Osprey is to support the Marine Air Ground Task Force by providing assault support transport of combat troops, equipment and essential supplies.
“We use this aircraft to support the guys on the ground,” explained Kaiser. “That’s the air wing motto – to support the infantry guys.”
The MV-22B accomplishes this with its ability to provide medium lift assault support, tactical recovery of aircraft and personnel, emergency evacuation, fleet logistics support, logistics support ashore, long-range logistics and medical evacuation.
The Osprey’s performance wowed thousands who attended the air show.
“The demonstration was pretty exciting,” said Eric Garcia, an air show spectator and a Temecula, Calif., native. “It shows the versatility of the aircraft. It’s like a Transformer.”
Read more: http://www.dvidshub.net/news/96109/real-life-transformer-ospreys-wow-crowd-helicopter-airplane-conversion#ixzz29kxnd0qs
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