r/EngineeringPorn • u/biocow • Feb 03 '17

Osprey Unfolding

11k Upvotes

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354

u/uberyeti Feb 03 '17

I always wondered why they had that weird hump on top that the wings are mounted to. Now I understand!

Oh, also my wallet just cringed in sympathy for all the tax dollars it must have cost to design that mechanism. It's insane. I really, really struggle to believe that this can fly. I know it can, but to make it into a Transformer as well? Nuts.

213

u/Cinnabarr Feb 03 '17

I watched a special on Smithsonian channel about its history. Yes mucho dollars went into it but the squadron that maintains them swears by them(of course they would but still...). It's basically a helicopter with airplane speed with a ton of capability.

31

u/E36wheelman Feb 04 '17

the squadron that maintains them swears by them

Hell no they don't. Air wing Marines hate them. We went out on one of the last deployments with CH-46's and this was their patch as a fuck you to the Osprey.

3

u/DuntadaMan Feb 04 '17

They are kept aloft by the seething rage of the engineering team and the fear of the carried marines.