CORPS SUPPORT Bell Boeing Osprey is go-to transport for U.S. Marines BY DAN RALEY | PHOTOS BY BOB FERGUSON t Marine Corps Air Station New River in North Carolina, MV-22 Ospreys sit silently A in the morning darkness, lined up in precise military order, sharing a rare moment. Only at rest do they mirror each other’s actions. As an orange and yellow sunrise gradually lights up the sky, the tiltrotor aircraft become visible with their massive nacelles locked in an assortment of positions—from vertical to horizontal, some with blades folded. Ospreys soon lift off the ground using different methods, from straight-up hovering ascents to rolling runway takeoffs, with blades and nacelles set accordingly. Three of the aircraft come face to face at an airfield intersection and, one by one, climb into the sky at various angles. Part airplane and part helicopter, this unusual-looking flying machine has become so adept at changing FEBRUARY 2016 | 13
Frontiers February 2016 Issue
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