The GAU-17, as this gatling gun is called, drops from the belly of the Osprey when needed. The crew chief—not the pilot—uses the gamepad and a targeting monitor to fire it. The targeting monitor—which also corrects targeting automatically for angle and speed—is connected to a sensor which houses a CCD camera, IR camera and laser range finder.

The GAU-17 is not limited in one axis, but covers the entire field of battle, moving all across 360 degrees. However, since the Osprey engines move from horizontal to vertical orientation depending on the maneuver, the targeting software limits the fire range so the rotors can't get damaged. The pilot can also activate a mode that fixes the gun in a forward configuration, allowing for traditional targeting without having to use the gamepad. [Defense Tech]

From the sales pitch: "an executive could conceivably take off from the helipad of a country house outside London, fly in comfort to a meeting in Frankfurt in just 60 minutes, then fly on to Zurich, Milan and back home for early dinner" you can guess that these luxury choppers are going to cost quite the packet. Somewhere between a corporate helicopter (which is simpler in design) and a corporate jet (which is more complex.) So, tens of millions then, but you'll have to wait a bit as the aircraft isn't yet certified.

Plus, with all that rotating-engine tech aboard, they'll cost more to maintain than your average helicopter. And if you're a rich business type thinking of buying one, you'd better get your pilots well trained. Remember how tricky the V22 has been to develop?

[TheRegister via ]