Textron-Boeing V-22 ($100 million dollars) Still Dogged By Bad Parts, Tester Says

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Textron-Boeing V-22 Still Dogged By Bad Parts, Tester Says
By Tony Capaccio - Wed Jan 12 20:46:56 GMT 2011

The V-22 tilt-rotor Osprey, five years after it was cleared for full-production, remains dogged by unreliable parts that reduce its availability for missions, according to the Pentagon’s top tester.

The Textron Inc. and Boeing Co. V-22, in its most recent testing to evaluate upgrades, was available only 57 percent of the time it was required to fly, rather than the specification of 82 percent, according to a new report by Michael Gilmore, the Pentagon’s director of operational test and evaluation. The testing took place between May and July 2009.

“Major contributors to this low mission capable rate included cracking or prematurely failing hinges and access doors, engine and drive components within the nacelle structure, flight control system failures, wiring and swashplate actuators,” which help the main rotors turn, the report said.

“Mission-capable rate” is a standard standard metric for aircraft combat reliability.

Gilmore assessed that when the aircraft was flying it “met or exceeded” all but one reliability and maintenance requirement.