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After decades in development, the V-22 Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft entered service with the Marines this year. A two-in-one marvel, it can fly troops to hard-to-reach combat zones at an airplane-like 300 mph and then pitch its twin “proprotors” upward to descend as a helicopter. Part of the reason for the long delay stems from an air disturbance common to rotocraft called a “vortex ring state,” which can cause a sudden loss of lift and which contributed to one of the Osprey’s three fatal test-flight crashes. The final version has a VRS warning system that alerts pilots to impending problems early enough for them to maneuver out safely. bellhelicopter.com
RELATED STORY: Full-Tilt Flying Machine
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