Posted by John Keller

PATUXENT RIVER, Md., 1 Sept. 2011. U.S. Air Force leaders are ordering three CV-22 Osprey tiltrotor aircraft training simulators, and upgrades for three existing simulators, from the Bell Boeing V-22 Program at Patuxent River, Md., under terms of a $34 million contract announced Wednesday. The Bell Boeing V-22 Program is an alliance between Bell Helicopter-Textron (NYSE:TXT) and The Boeing Co. (NYSE:BA).

The Air Force currently uses the CV-22 simulators at Kirtland Air Force Base, N.M., using a CV-22 cabin part task trainer (CPTT). The current contract calls for Bell-Boeing to upgrade that device and two additional fuselage aircrew and maintenance trainers. Company engineers will install two new cabin operational flight trainers (COFTs) at Hurlburt Field, Fla., and Cannon Air Force Base, N.M. Work should be finished by mid-2014.

The CPTT provides V-22 emergency egress, cargo loading, cargo air delivery, virtual fast ropers, combined real and virtual hoist operations, medevac configuration, lighting, communications, night vision, emergency procedures, and refueling training. The new COFTs will include all these capabilities.

The improved simulators are intended to increase the reality of mission rehearsal and allow the COFTs and CV-22 aircrew trainers located at the same bases to be networked together. The wing trainer helps users practice maintenance.

For more information contact Boeing online at www.boeing.com/rotorcraft/military/v22, or Bell Helicopter Textron at www.bellhelicopter.com.

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