Tiltrotor Not Suffering from V-22 Woes

Problems besetting the military V-22 Osprey tiltrotor program do not appear to be having a negative impact on the six-to-nine seat Bell Agusta BA609 civil tiltrotor as it heads towards first flight late this year.

Two V-22s have crashed in the last few months, one during operational testing and the other on final approach to its base.

"There has been absolutely no reaction from commercial customers to the V-22 situation. No cancellations, and no concerns," Bell chairman and CEO Terry Stinson told Show News. Orders for the civil tiltrotor now stand at more than 80, and production is sold out for the first 3-1/2 years after deliveries begin in 2002.

Asked whether Bell had learned any lessons from the V-22 accidents to apply to the BA 609, Stinson replied: "No. That's because tiltrotor technology is not an issue whatsoever with the V-22 crashes. One was pilot induced, and the other-although I cannot pre-guess the final results of the investigation-was caused by the kind of thing that could occur on a helicopter, a Boeing 747 or an F-16.

"It is hard for the general public who are not in aviation to understand. They see two crashes in six months and they say 'this is a problem ship,' which is just not the case."

Stinson said one BA 609 customer felt strongly enough about the issue to write an unsolicited letter to the Commandant of the Marine Corps. "He urged them to continue to persevere as this is changing the way man flies," said Stinson. "The customer said this is a technology the world needs and offered his own support to the Marines, saying he is fully supportive of tiltrotor technology and has no concerns at all about the 609 he has on order."

The first prototype BA 609 is rapidly taking shape. Wings and engines have been mounted, empennage attached, landing gear installed, and wiring is under way. "It is very fast becoming reality," said Stinson.

By John Morris