Undisclosed number of Ospreys grounded until clutch-related part fixed
By Megan Eckstein and Stephen Losey
Feb 4, 07:02 PM
An undisclosed number of V-22 Ospreys across three services will halt operations until a component tied to the engine is replaced. (Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Vance Hand/Navy)
WASHINGTON — An undisclosed number of V-22 Ospreys across three services will halt operations until a component tied to the engine is replaced, a defense official said Saturday, as part of an ongoing effort to address a hard clutch engagement issue that first alarmed the Air Force in summer 2022.
At issue is the input quill assembly, which attaches the Osprey’s engine to its prop-rotor gear box. The V-22 Joint Program Office on Saturday announced a time limit for these parts’ use, after a recent data analytics effort showed a clear connection between the age of the input quill assemblies and the aircraft’s likelihood of experiencing a hard clutch engagement.
The Defense Department is not disclosing the flight hour limit at which the input quill assembly must be replaced, nor how many of about 400 total aircraft across all the services will require this immediate maintenance work.
https://www.defensenews.com/naval/2023/02/05/undisclosed-number-of-ospreys-grounded-until-clutch-related-part-fixed/
