The Bell Boeing V-22 is the world’s first production tiltrotor aircraft, successfully
blending the vertical flight capability of a helicopter with the speed, range, altitude
and endurance of an airplane.
This unique combination provides the warfighter with an unprecedented advantage.
This allows more effective mission execution and realization of missions previously unachievable
in one aircraft.
Comprehensively tested and currently in full-rate production, the Bell Boeing V-22 has proven
to be a survivable and transformational platform in the most challenging environments on the
planet.
U.S. Naval Air Systems Command worked on software upgrades to increase the maximum speed from
460 km/h to 500 km/h, increase helicopter mode altitude limit from 3,000 m to 3,700
m or 4,300 m, and increase lift performance.
Implementation of these upgrades began in September 2011 and proved largely effective.
By 2012, changes had been made to the V-22's hardware, software, and procedures in response
to hydraulic fires in the nacelles, vortex ring state control issues, and opposed landings.
In October 2015, NAVAIR tested rolling landings and takeoffs on a carrier, preparing for Carrier
onboard delivery.
Composite materials make up 43% of the airframe, and the proprotor blades also use composites.
For storage, the V-22's rotors fold in 90 seconds and its wing rotates to align, front-to-back,
with the fuselage.
Due to the requirement for folding rotors, their 38-foot diameter is 5 feet less than
optimal for vertical takeoff, resulting in high disk loading.
Most missions use fixed wing flight 75% or more of the time, reducing wear and tear and
operational costs.
This fixed wing flight is higher than typical helicopter missions allowing longer range
line-of-sight communications for improved command and control.
The V-22's two Rolls-Royce AE 1107C engines are connected by drive shafts to a common
central gearbox so that one engine can power both proprotors if an engine failure occurs.
Either engine can power both proprotors through the wing driveshaft.
However, the V-22 is generally not capable of hovering on one engine.
If a proprotor gearbox fails, that proprotor cannot be feathered, and both engines must
be stopped before an emergency landing.
The V-22's autorotation characteristics are poor partly because the rotors have low inertia.
In September 2013, Rolls-Royce announced that it had increased the AE-1107C engine's power
by 17 percent via the adoption of a new Block 3 turbine, an increase in fuel valve flow
capacity, and accompanying software updates.
The upgrade should increase the reliability in high-altitude, high-heat conditions and
boost maximum payload limitations from 1,829 m to 2,4338 m.
A Block 4 upgrade is reportedly being examined, which may increase power by up to 26 percent,
producing close to 10,000 hp, and improve fuel consumption.
The V-22 is equipped with a glass cockpit, which incorporates four Multi-function displays
(compatible with night-vision goggles) and one shared Central Display Unit, to display
various images including: digimaps, imagery from the Turreted Forward Looking Infrared
System primary flight instruments, navigation (TACAN, VOR, ILS, GPS, INS), and system status.
The flight director panel of the Cockpit Management System allows for fully coupled functions
that take the aircraft from forward flight into a 15 m hover with no pilot interaction
other than programming the system.
The glass cockpit of the canceled CH-46X was derived from the V-22.
The fuselage is not pressurized, and personnel must wear on-board oxygen masks above 3,048
m.
The V-22 has triple-redundant fly-by-wire flight control systems, which included computerized
damage control to automatically isolate damaged areas.
With the nacelles pointing straight up in conversion mode at 90° the flight computers
command the aircraft to fly like a helicopter, with cyclic forces being applied to a conventional
swashplate at the rotor hub.
With the nacelles in airplane mode (0°) the flaperons, rudder, and elevator fly similar
to an airplane.
This is a gradual transition, occurring over the nacelles' rotation range; the lower the
nacelles, the greater effect of the airplane-mode control surfaces.
The nacelles can rotate past vertical to 97.5° for rearward flight.
The V-22 can use the "80 Jump" orientation with the nacelles at 80° for takeoff to quickly
achieve high altitude and speed.
The control systems automate and simplify to the extent that the V-22 can hover in low
wind with no hands on the controls.
According to some who have flown the aircraft, former fixed-wing pilots may be preferable
over helicopter ones as they are not trained to constantly adjust the controls while hovering.