Flaw in the Osprey.Your December story "Ospreys Cargo Capacity Driving Weapon Designs" missed the single greatest flaw of the program. The original Osprey was a technology demonstrator of the tilt-rotor aircraft concept. Once satisfied with the technical feasibility, there should have been a formal requirement definition for a new, more functional aircraft (or family of aircraft) based on some sort of operational concept, e.g. deep airmobile air·mo·bile also air-mo·bile adj. Capable of being transported and deployed, usually by helicopter, to a combat zone or from one site to another within a theater of operations: an airmobile infantry regiment. insertion of motorized mo·tor·ize tr.v. mo·tor·ized, mo·tor·iz·ing, mo·tor·iz·es 1. To equip with a motor. 2. To supply with motor-driven vehicles. 3. To provide with automobiles. forces. Instead, the decision makers allowed the strictly limited personnel transport to advance into full production and fielding "as is"--and this oversight will cost dearly. To embed the Expeditionary Fire Support System (EFFS EFFS Enhanced Fee-For-Service EFFS Environmental and Facilities - Fire Suppression EFFS Edmonton Folk Festival Society ) with the current Osprey is lunacy lunacy: see insanity. . Taking an already available $12,000 "Growler growl·er n. 1. One, such as a dog, that growls. 2. A small iceberg. 3. Informal A container, such as a pail or pitcher, that is used for carrying beer. 4. " (essentially a modernized 40-year-old "jeep" design) and then paying $100,000 apiece for trimming a few inches off of its width is too stupid to even discuss. And then consider adding armor? Hello? Worse yet, one Growler cannot possibly tow a mortar and an ammunition trailer and carry the crew. You need two Growlers, one for the mortar and another for the ammunition. That means two Ospreys for each 120mm mortar team. For Osprey, Growler and EFFS the answer is clear: Start over! Chester A. Kojro Rolla, MO |
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