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The Osprey.

Overview

The V-22 Osprey Helicopter is a troop-carrying tiltrotor aircraft used by the Military during the Black Mesa incident.

The Osprey is very strong, taking multiple shots from an RPG Launcher or the Tau Cannon to shoot down.

Behaviour

The Osprey flies around and replenishes the supply of marines in a level. If there are no marines dead when it reaches it's rappeling point, it will continue - if there have been casualties, it will hover at the rappeling point and let soldiers drop from it into the battlefield.

Mechanics

The Osprey carries an infinite number of soldiers. When a marine is spawned into the Osprey, he immediately jumps forward to grab the rope and rappel down. The Osprey replenishes between two and eight marines in one pass, depending on how many casualties need to be replaced. [1]

Marines spawned from Ospreys have randomized weapons, but the odds of soldiers equipped with MP5 are greater than, for example, shotguns [2].

Tactics

You can't kill a marine before he rappels down from the Osprey, but he is an easy target while on the rope. He rappels down fast, but will descend slower as he gets closer to the ground [3].

Media

A Black Mesa wallpaper featuring the Osprey, based in the original scene from Half-Life.

An Osprey hovering near the rappeling point, in the chapter We've Got Hostiles.

Trivia

• The Osprey is the only vehicle able to transport soldiers. [4]
• Originally the Osprey was programmed with the ability to land and drop soldiers off like a Combine Dropship, however this ability was later removed during a code cleanup. [5]
• The Osprey was to have a Soldier with an RPG fire out the sides, however it is unlikely this will make it in. [6]

Redesign History

The Design

Unlike in Half-Life where the V-22 has two side openings underneath its wings, HECU soldiers are now rappelling from the cargo loading ramp at the back of the Osprey, staying true to the real-life's design.

Osprey Animations

According to Daniel Junek, "[the Osprey animation in the video] looks weird because the engine nacelles were rotating at the wrong times when this video was recorded; the Osprey starts moving forward before the rotors tilt. Plus there's that reversing to the rappel point" [7].