Boeing Team Delivers 2 Osprey Trainers to Marines

ST. LOUIS, Jan. 11, 2010 -- Boeing [NYSE: BA] and partner Bell Helicopter delivered two MV-22 Osprey Containerized Flight Training Devices (CFTD) to the U.S. Marines at Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Miramar in California in the last quarter of 2009.

"Before the deliveries to Miramar, Marines would have to spend months at a time in North Carolina for training," said Mark McGraw, Boeing vice president of Training Systems & Services. "Having two trainers in California increases warfighter availability while allowing the Marines to train more crew members at once."

The CFTD trains aircrew on basic aircraft familiarization and handling qualities, systems/sub-systems operation, communication, malfunctions, day and night flying, use of night vision goggles, formation flying, aerial refueling and landing on ships. The device is intended to train crews for any task that might be performed in the aircraft, while limiting the monetary and environmental costs and safety risks of in-flight training.

"We thank Miramar's warfighters for lending us their expertise," said McGraw. "They participated in pre-acceptance testing 'flyability' trials and provided around-the-clock availability for the acceptance testing."

Boeing has delivered a total of three CFTDs to the Marines to date. Two more of the devices are scheduled for delivery to Miramar in mid-2010. Another CFTD will be delivered to MCAS New River, N.C., in fall 2010, where it will join the first CFTD, which Boeing delivered in 2007.

All CFTDs can be locally networked to one another to allow for more robust training capabilities. The CFTDs at MCAS New River also will be able to network with AV-8 Harriers at MCAS Cherry Point, N.C.

Cost and cycle time have been progressively reduced for each CFTD, while simulator quality has increased. The projectors are sharper and clearer than those on earlier Osprey simulators. Future CFTDs will include additional improvements.

The V-22 Osprey is a tiltrotor aircraft manufactured by Boeing Rotorcraft Systems and Bell Helicopter, a Textron Inc. [NYSE: TXT] company. Bell and Boeing are teamed in a Strategic Alliance Agreement for the design, production and sustainment of the V-22.