V-22 Ospreys Still At Risk From Sand And Dust As Navy Attempts Third Engine Filter Redesign
A new Pentagon report reveals that the existing particle separators cannot meet certain specifications for operation in desert environments.
By Joseph TrevithickNovember 12, 2019
The Pentagon's top watchdog has released a report that offers new details and insights into the U.S. Navy's struggle to resolve long-standing issues with the Engine Air Particle Separators, or EAPSs, on U.S. Marine Corps and U.S. Air Force V-22 Osprey tilt-rotors. This includes the revelation that there was never any requirement for the EAPS design to meet specifications from Rolls-Royce, the manufacturer of the aircraft's two engines, to ensure proper operation in all desert conditions.
EAPS failures, and by extension instances of catastrophic engine power loss and other serious issues, have been factors in a number of fatal Osprey crashes in the past decade. The Navy is on its third attempt to redesign the separators, and now the entire engine inlet configuration, in as many years. There are concerns that it may still not be able to ensure that its latest effort will adequately reduce the risks of V-22s sucking up dangerous amounts of particulate matter, especially when operating in desert environments.
https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/30976/v-22-ospreys-still-at-risk-from-sand-and-dust-as-navy-attempts-third-engine-filter-redesign
