On 29 Jan 2007, David E. Powell said the following in
oups.com.

How long have they been working this ship up?


Erg. My ability to recall dates being somewhat in question....

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/V-22_Osprey

First funding was appropriated during 1986. In 1988, then SecDef Dick
Cheney canceled the program. Congress disagreed.

As I recall from reading stories about it at the time, the problem was
that the program managers had ensured that there were jobs producing
parts for the program in lots of Congressional districts. So the program
had the support of not only defense minded Congress critters, and
Congress critters with defense contractors in their districts, but it
also had the support of Congress critters with newly created defense
related jobs in their otherwise non-defense-job-having districts.

Voting against jobs in your own district was and is considered bad form
for Congress Critters.

First flight was in 1989. Altitude was measured with a micrometer.

Regards,
Dann