You want to make the V-22 a gunship? Learn from history!

The latest and greatest on the Commandant's wish list is to turn the MV-22 into a gunship.

We've seen it modded to act as an aerial refuel-er.  Its being pitched as a Carrier On-Board Delivery Vehicle.  We've seen proposals for it to act as a baby AWACs so a gunship version shouldn't be seen as far fetched.

But how do you do it?

History has the answer but the aviation community won't like it.  A quick blast to the past....

Pic via Vietnam Huey
1967 - UH-1E gunship VMO-6 A UH-1E gunship with VMO-6 based at Ky Ha near Chu Lai (I Corps) in 1967. VMO-6 was tasked with flying armed escort for Marine transport helicopters, so most of their Hueys during this period were gunships. Marine rotary aircraft during this period wore more subdued markings. The high visibility yellow tail boom band has been removed. The aircraft number is painted in flat black on both the frame behind the pilots' doors and the tail. The national emblem has also been removed from the aircraft. The only high visibility markings that remain are the red step covers and vertical stripes on the cabin sides and engine cowling. Like most Marine UH-1Es, this aircraft has a tail boom-mounted antenna and rounded housing on the cabin roof.

The evolution of the Huey into the Cobra tells us how to get where we want to go without wasting time or money (initial outlays might be higher but the end result will be achieved much sooner thereby lowering costs...hey, it works with the F-35 right?).

1989 Boeing Vertol AV-22-LSOC Ghost
by melkorius

My idea is simple.  Skip the Huey phase of development (as seen in the great illustration above) and lets go straight to the guns.  Lose the cargo area and slim down that fuselage to practically nothing.  Upgrade the engines to put out more power.  Put the pilots in tandem instead of side by side.  The aim?  To have as narrow a plane as possible.  Additionally you add the pylons from the AH-1Z onto this beast, its chin turret too, use the same targeting FLIR etc...and we call it a day.  Yeah, we're developing a new wrapping but the bits are coming from stuff we have in service.

The amazing thing?  We've already seen concepts that strike pretty close to the mark.  All we need are some designers to do the 1960's thing and put the MV-22 on a diet.

Bell D-314F

The truly depressing part of all this?

Even if my recommendation is followed and they do the MV-22 gunship in the mold of the Huey/Cobra conversion you're still going to be left with one undeniable truth.

It still won't be as effective as a Super Tucano...and will be much more expensive too...