NEARLY 2-YEAR GROUNDING ENDS; CV-22 FLIGHT TESTS RESUME MODIFICATIONS MADE AFTER OSPREY CRASH KILLED MARINES.

Byline: Daily News

EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE- The Air Force's CV-22 tilt-rotor aircraft resumed flight tests Sept. 11, ending a 21-month grounding that followed the deadly December 2000 crash of a Marine MV-22 Osprey.

Edwards Air Force Base's two Ospreys were modified to fit recommendations from a series of reviews that followed the crash, mainly involving greater clearance around electrical and hydraulic lines to prevent rubbing, and improved access inside the engine covers.

``We have been hands-on in the rigorous design and implementation of the corrections to those deficiencies identified by the review panels,'' said Maj. Greg Weber, the government's CV-22 flight test director at Edwards.

During the initial flights, the two-pilot test crew conducted several runway landing patterns and put the aircraft into a hover to test its rotor track and balance.

Later in the day, the test team returned to the air and successfully converted the aircraft to airplane mode.

These initial test flights are designed to shakedown the aircraft after its long modification period and will continue over the next few weeks, said CV-22 chief test pilot Marty Shubert of Bell Helicopter, who piloted the CV-22 on its return to flight.

``All of our initial test flights are part of a methodical and event-driven test flight program to validate engineering and software changes and to further test the capabilities of this aircraft to carry out its intended missions,'' Shubert said.

The tilt-rotor aircraft is intended to let the Air Force drop commandos or pick up downed pilots far behind enemy lines.

The CV-22 can reach twice the altitude and speed, and has three to five times the range, of current aircraft used in special operations.

``The team used good discipline to make all of the modifications necessary to get the CV-22 back into the air,'' said Maj. Gen. Doug Pearson, commander of the Air Force Flight Test Center at Edwards. ``I'm looking forward to completing developmental tests on this aircraft and seeing what the CV-22 system has to offer.''

Air Force procurement plans call for two more Ospreys to be delivered in late 2005 or 2006 for testing at Edwards.

CAPTION(S):

photo

Photo:

(color) An Air Force CV-22 Osprey hovers over Edwards Air Force Base on Sept. 11, the craft's first flight since a Marine Corps version of the aircraft crashed in December 2000.

U.S. Air Force