I saw a plane yesterday in southeast New Mexico that I had never seen before. As it was approaching from a distance it looked like a huge version of one of the small commercial drones you see around. When it got close I realized it was a plane with props at the end of each wing.
Looking at pictures of planes of this type, I came to the conclusion the closest thing I could find was a V 22 Osprey. Are there any other planes with that structure (props on the end of wings) that I should check out?
What would a plane like that be doing flying over the area of the Permian Basin in New Mexico. This one was coming from the direction of Hobbs, NM traveling west.
I would guess they were headed to White Sands Missile Range. The assumption would be a training exercise...
Not just the Marines and Navy use them, they are just the well known and visible users. Air Force and Army Special Operations units use them as well.
https://www.airforce-technology.com/projects/osprey/
A squadron of them at Cannon AFB, Clovis, NM. Part of AFSOC.
V22 is the only VTOL plane I know of that has rotors.
AW609 does too
Huh. Never heard of it
Here you go, I believe he details which branches are part of the Osprey program. Goes over they history and development and isn't too long.
https://youtu.be/erWPD71BL1A
other than a few prototypes here and there, the V-22 is the only tilt rotor aircraft that is in service. however it could be some new aircraft not public yet.
I wasn't sure it was a tilt rotor since the whole time I saw it, it was in straight flight. The distiguishing look for me was the props at the end of the wings.
We had one through here in central IL . Last week low . First time ever seeing one and it was sweet.
They build them in Amarillo, It would not take long to fly to Ruidoso.
Boeing bad ideas.
I’m in that area for work right now. Outside of Jal NM
I was through there yesterday dove hunting. That is a hell of a mess in the area west of Jal. I used to frequent that area years ago hunting. It looks ruined.