Recently, the famous American tiltrotor V22 series had another crash. On November 29, a U.S. Air Force CV22B tiltrotor plane crashed off the coast of Japan, killing all eight people on board. Subsequently, the United States announced the grounding of the V-22 "Osprey" fleet on December 6. This series of accidents has put a clear stain on the tiltrotor aircraft of the "Osprey" series. Will these unusual accidents affect the future development of tiltrotors?*Internet.
The tiltrotor is actually a new type of combat aircraft with revolutionary significance, which can take off and land vertically like an ordinary aircraft, and can also increase the carrying capacity by taxiing. During the flight, it flies very close to a regular fixed-wing aircraft. Therefore, theoretically, a tiltrotor aircraft is closer to a fixed-wing aircraft than *** structurally, it is very similar to the VTOL fighters that were popular in the past. *Internet. The V22 tiltrotor first flew on March 19, 1989, and has been around for 34 years.
However, due to a number of problems and fatal accidents in the early stages of development, the equipment of the V22 aircraft was postponed until 2007. Currently, in addition to the U.S. Marine Corps, Air Force and Navy, the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force is also equipped with V22 family aircraft, and the number of deliveries has exceeded 400. According to the evaluation of the three US services, the overall performance of the V22 series tiltrotor aircraft is quite good, especially in terms of flight speed and carrying capacity. Its take-off weight has already reached 27 tons, and the maximum internal carrying capacity of the MV22B exceeds 9 tons.
Compared with traditional ***, for example, the CH46 series ***V22 family, which was once used by the Marine Corps, has a significant advantage in flight capabilities. However, this advantage is limited to flight performance, not safety performance. According to the statistics of the U.S. side, the safety record of the V22 family is not bad, and it does not match the image of the so-called "widow maker". However, an independent review of the V22 family's accident records reveals that the accident rate is still high, mainly due to the fact that the aircraft is not fully mature before it enters active service, and there are many potential problems. In June 1991, a V22 tiltrotor crashed due to a malfunction of the flight control system, resulting in minor injuries to two crew members.
Subsequently, in July 1992, a pre-production V22 aircraft suffered a right engine failure in flight, killing all seven people on board. This serious accident directly led to the grounding of the V22 fleet for 11 months to solve the existing problems. In April 2000, a V22 aircraft carrying more than a dozen Marines descended too fast during the descent, causing the right rotor to fail, and eventually the entire plane crashed, killing all 19 people on board. Subsequent solutions to these problems include adding warning lights and beeps inside the V22 to deal with situations where the descent is too fast.
In December 2000, a V22 aircraft crashed due to a mechanical failure that caused the flight control system to mismaneuver, killing all four people on board. This incident once again grounded the Marine Corps' V22 fleet, and improvements were made to the wiring harnesses and hydraulic lines inside the cabin to address similar problems, suggesting that the potential hidden dangers of the aircraft have not been completely ruled out. V22 Osprey has also experienced some challenges during its quiet years. In March 2006, an MV22B crashed due to a malwiring of one of the plugs in the engine's two full-authority digital control systems, due to improper maintenance.
Despite the improvements made to the aircraft, the MV22B was eventually forced to retire due to heavy damage. In April 2010, a CV22B crashed while on mission in Afghanistan, killing four people and injuring 16. However, the cause of the accident was not the problem of CV22B itself, but the harsh environment and low visibility at the time, as well as the high descent rate of the aircraft. In April 2012, a Marine Corps MV22B crashed during a Xi exercise, killing two Marines and seriously injuring two. The investigation revealed that the accident was not caused by a mechanical defect in the aircraft, but by a human error.
Then, in June 2012, an Air Force CV22B crashed during training, injuring all five people on board. The investigation revealed that the accident was caused by the improper operation of CV22B, and the aircraft flew over the rotor wake interference zone of another aircraft, resulting in an offbalance crash. In 2015, an MV22B participating in the Xi exercise inhaled a large amount of smoke and dust from the right engine during flight, causing the engine power to drop. Aircraft accidents are frequent, and defects of V22 series aircraft are frequentIn recent years, frequent accidents of V22 series aircraft have attracted widespread attention.
First, a V22 aircraft killed two marines and injured 20 others during a forced landing. This incident prompted manufacturers to improve the aircraft's air filters, which are essential for aircraft that require VTOL and VTOL. However, the accident didn't stop there. In December 2016, August 2017 and September 2017, V22 series aircraft were involved in accidents and even crashed. These accidents have both the problem of improper operation and the defects of the aircraft itself. Less than a month has passed since the recent accident. In March 2022, an MV22B crashed in the valley, killing four Marines.
The investigation revealed that the accident was also caused by a crew error. However, it is unbelievable that the investigation believes that the Go Pro camera found at the crash site distracted the crew members and became one of the causes of the accident. Even more shockingly, in June 2022, a Marine Corps MV22B crashed during training, killing all five members. The cause of the accident was a malfunction of the drive system, and the main problem appeared on the clutch of the aircraft. The U.S. side also said that in the past 10 years, there have been 16 clutch-related problems with the V22 family of aircraft, which indicates that the V22 family of aircraft has inherent flaws and unresolved problems.
Sadly, in August this year, a Marine MV22B Osprey crashed in Australia, killing three Marines. And on November 29, another Osprey plane broke down. Witnesses said they saw the left side of the plane in the cabin ** and it happened**, and the specific reason is yet to be announced after the United States officially declassifies it. These successive accidents have highlighted the serious shortcomings and safety hazards of the V22 family of aircraft. Recent calls for the grounding of the V-22 tiltrotor aircraft in Japan have been raised after a fatal accident raised questions about the aircraft's safety. Although this accident statistics may not be comprehensive, we can see some problems in it.
Compared to the *** of the same era, the safety of the V-22 family of aircraft seems to be much better. In addition to the pilot's personal error, the large number of accidents showed that the V-22 had many design flaws and development problems. However, if these deficiencies can be improved and pilot training can be strengthened, it is believed that the safety performance of the V-22 family of aircraft will be greatly improved. The tiltrotor is undoubtedly a revolutionary breakthrough for the military, with greater carrying capacity and faster flight speed. If it can solve the many problems that currently exist, its adaptability may exceed ***, and it is definitely a new field worth investing in.
While the V-22 currently faces some challenges, it could become an important part of the future military aviation sector through continuous improvement and refinement.