V-22 Osprey (Photo from FAS)

Helicopter-Plane Osprey Faring Well In Iraq -- Seattle PI/AP

ASAD AIR BASE, Iraq -- After a troubled history, the V-22 Osprey - half-helicopter, half-plane - has been ferrying troops and equipment across Iraq for just over a year without a major incident.

Critics say the Osprey, which was designed to replace transport helicopters, lacks firepower for defense in heavy combat.

But pilots say the Osprey makes up for that in speed, which one of them says can take the plane "like a bat out of hell" to altitudes safe from small-arms fire.

Since arriving at this sprawling desert base in western Iraq, a dozen Ospreys have been ferrying troops and equipment at forward operating bases. One even took around Barack Obama during his tour of Iraq earlier this year.

But on only a handful of occasions has the aircraft faced any serious enemy fire.

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My Comment: When this aircraft was first developed, critics were having a field day in taking this plane apart. Maybe in the end .... this helicopter/plane will be the ugly duckling that turned into a swan.