Osprey flies with modified nacelle
Bell has completed its first nacelle improvement modifications on a USAF CV-22 Osprey tiltrotor aircraft and the company announced on 26 January that it has begun work on a second aircraft.
Following the work at the Bell Amarillo Assembly Center, the first modified Osprey returned to the 20th Special Operations Squadron at Cannon AFB on 13 December 2021.
V-22 nacelles house critical power components for the aircraft’s vertical take-off and landing capabilities and transition to forward flight.
About 60% of maintenance man-hours on the CV-22 are spent on the nacelles. Bell stated that the ongoing modification programme benefits V-22 fleet maintainers and operators ‘by reducing maintenance time and costs while simultaneously enhancing flying readiness rates’.
US Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) awarded Bell Boeing an $81 million contract in December 2020 to complete nacelle improvements on the CV-22 fleet. The contract covers the completion of non-recurring elements, fabrication of nine kits, and installation of one kit.
Work on the contract could continue beyond 2025 if NAVAIR exercises options for fabrication and installation.
More from Air Warfare
-
RSS Test with News tag
Test article g
-
Test for tweet embed 2
Summary text here
-
The A-29 Super Tucano – the close air support solution (Studio)
The Embraer A-29 Super Tucano is in service worldwide, delivering a low-cost, capable platform, ideally suited for long-enduring operations.