BA609 Flys Again!

CTR wrote:
Some one wrote about ten years ago that the tiltrotor is like a four
wheel drive Jeep. The Jeep makes a lousy car and a motorcycle can
travel off road much better. Early Jeeps were also so expensive you
could buy a nice car and a motorcycle for less than the cost of a Jeep.
Despite these facts, early civilian Jeeps did sell. Slow at first,
but with each new Jeep customer a new use was discovered.

Maybe the same story will hold true for the tiltrotor BA609.

I hadn't heard this analogy before. What an interesting argument.
As you say, maybe the tiltrotor will turn out the same way.

Well, there is an awful lot of money out there. People buy
Gulfstreams, Horizons, and other high-end jets to fly intercontinental
routes. There will be high-rollers with the resources to buy a tilt
rotor.

The BA609 opens a niche commercial market -- longer-than-helo range
trips with no regular airport at one end.

That said, I think there's a significant government market for a
smaller tilt rotor, and once the 609 gains acceptance, I think they'll
find a solid market.

HW