Inside the Osprey

April 13, 2007 — -- It's not often that someone gets to fly on a helicopter and a plane on the same day, no less on the same flight.

But members of the Pentagon press corps experienced just that when they flew aboard the Marine Corps' MV-22 Osprey, a tilt rotor aircraft that can fly like a plane and land or take off like a helicopter when necessary.

The Marines had just announced that 10 of the aircraft would be operating in Iraq beginning next September. As part of the announcement, the Pentagon offered reporters an opportunity to see what the aircraft could actually do.

A demonstration flight over the Marine Base at Quantico left some reporters wobbly-kneed, others exhilarated and some just plain woozy.

Before departing, reporters heard the Marines top aviation officer, Lt. Gen. John Castellaw, say the aircraft would do well in Iraq against small-arms fire because "it's harder to shoot a rabbit that's running than the one that's sitting still."

The Osprey's speed and maneuverability were definitely on display during the demonstration.

The Marines hope that by 2018, the Osprey will have replaced the venerable CH-46 Sea Knight, a helicopter first introduced in the Vietnam War that has served as the main troop transport for decades.

First conceived in the mid-'80s, the Osprey has experienced various fits and starts and rising costs that have slowed its development. Currently, the Marines have about 65 of the aircraft operating.

The aircraft's deployment is seen as a major accomplishment for planes that cost $100 million apiece and whose viability was questioned following two major crashes in 2000 that killed 23 Marines and stained the Osprey's reputation.

Lessons learned from those accidents convinced the Marines a year ago that the plane was ready for regular flight operations. Now, top Marine officials are confident the plane's speed and agility will make transporting Marines in Iraq safer. When flying like a plane, it is capable of flying at a speed of 240 knots or about 300 mph.