A US military Osprey aircraft crashed off the coast of Japan’s Yakushima Island in southern Kagoshima prefecture on Wednesday, with eight people on board, according to a spokesperson from the Japan Coast Guard.
While the Osprey is the best of both worlds in terms of range, speed, and operational flexibility, it’s the worst of both worlds in terms of engine-out survivability. It doesn’t have enough wing area to glide like a plane to a safe landing, and the rotors don’t have enough inertia to preform an autorotation landing like a helicopter, unless the aircraft was already configured for vertical flight. Training pilots is also difficult, as you basically need someone who’s skilled in both helicopter and fixed-wing flight.
While the Osprey is the best of both worlds in terms of range, speed, and operational flexibility, it’s the worst of both worlds in terms of engine-out survivability. It doesn’t have enough wing area to glide like a plane to a safe landing, and the rotors don’t have enough inertia to preform an autorotation landing like a helicopter, unless the aircraft was already configured for vertical flight. Training pilots is also difficult, as you basically need someone who’s skilled in both helicopter and fixed-wing flight.