The problem is the vulnerability when it’s in transition during take offs and landings.
The Marines have 130s and helicopters. They need new helicopters that can defend themselves and troops in a landing zone for hot insertions and retractions – not slow, big, noisy, unarmed, unarmored targets.
The instability is required for maneuverability in fighter aircraft. The F-22 is even more unstable and is totally unable to remain in the air if the computer fails. The computer in the F-15, F-16 on up also keep the pilots from killing themselves with the Gee forces generated by the ability of the aircraft to pull tight turns. In the old days the wings just broke off.
BTW we used to find the convenient jet stream over the Baltic and “hover” in RC-130s. I’ve got a lot of hours in 130s and some of them were “interesting”.
We have amphibious assault ships that can bring helicopters to within range of most of the world. We should built a replacement for the Blackhawk and more AASs to position them. Hell, we could use stepping stone carriers to move them to the theater.
Les Aspin was the godfather of this monstrosity.
]]>I still don’t understand the attachment the Maroons have for the thing, other than that it’s self-deploying and thus doesn’t require precious Air Farce transport assets to get it in-theatre (but couldn’t they have just bought some Herky Birds of their own? A Herc won’t hover, but it comes damn near!), but some of the criticisms of the thing have been pretty ludicrous. Yeah, it’s a pork-barrel project par excellence. But that’s more an example of how the military designs and buys crap nowdays than a criticism of the basic concept.
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