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Wasp Hosts Aircraft Testing Teams

Navy NewsStand

Story Number: NNS100824-18
8/24/2010

By Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class (SW) Christopher Koons, USS Wasp Public Affairs

USS WASP, At Sea (NNS) -- Military and civilian personnel tested several new types of aircraft aboard USS Wasp (LHD 1) July 26 to Aug. 6.

A group of MV-22 "Ospreys," and UH-1Y "Venom" and AH-1Z "Cobra" helicopters, were flown aboard to test certain aspects of their systems and to familiarize shipboard personnel with directing the take-off and landing of these aircraft.

The aircraft belong to Air Test and Developmental Squadron (HX) 21 based in Patuxent River, Md. and Operational Test Squadron (VMX) 22 based in New River, N.C.

Robert Bierly is a shift supervisor for DynCorp, a U.S. private military company and aircraft maintenance company which worked with Wasp and the air squadrons on testing the planes and helicopters.

"Our purpose was to do software regression and envelope expansion testing on these aircraft," said Bierly. "Software regression involves the programming of an aircraft's vehicle management system. Envelope expansion testing involves trying to find out a craft's maximum ability to withstand different wind conditions, thus allowing us to know at what point it would be too dangerous to conduct flight operations. All of this testing was successful."

During their operations aboard Wasp, the squadrons also received valuable training on the technical aspects of these new aircraft.

"It gave us an idea of how to operate the aircraft in difficult flight situations," said Marine Corps Maj. Sam Clark, HX-21 MV-22 pilot. "We also increased our gross weight landing and take off capabilities. The most challenging part was utilizing all of our on board systems to their maximum abilities, but everything turned out well."

For the Wasp Sailors who work on the ship's flight deck, learning how to launch and recover the Ospreys, Venoms, and Cobras was a valuable experience.

"The Venoms and Cobras both have four blades on their propellers instead of the usual two, so it was a challenge for our guys to get used to them," said Aviation Boatswain's Mate (Handling) 1st Class (AW/SW) Ian Daley. "Most of the junior flight deck Sailors have never worked with these types of aircraft before, so it was a good learning experience for them."

This challenge extended to working with the Ospreys, which are also somewhat unconventional in their design.

"When we tie the Ospreys down to the flight deck, we have to put the turn buckle on a pad eye instead of on the aircraft, which is the reverse of most other planes," said Daley. "Also, the whole rotor head turns when an Osprey takes off as opposed to just the blades on the propellers, and we have had to get used to that, too."

Despite these differences, Wasp's flight deck personnel described the basic principles for launching and landing these aircraft as being the same as any other.

"We get the same flow of motion with them as we do with all of the other aircraft that we deal with on Wasp," said Aviation Boatswain's Mate (Handling) 3rd Class (AW/SW) Melvin Steward. "Overall, I'd say these new aircraft are pretty stable when taking off and landing."

Other flight deck Sailors looked forward to working with these new aircraft in the future.

"The Ospreys are exciting because they are new and different," said Aviation Boatswain's Mate (Handling) 3rd Class (AW) Justin Woodard. "It's good to be part of an advancement in naval aviation."