Just an FYI, but the big Army may be finally embracing the tilt-rotor concept too. The Army has awarded a contract for concept design and analysis for its Future Heavy Lift program as well as some more conventional /unconventional designs.  Here are the chosen concepts:

The five concept vehicles chosen for this effort, listed in order of their design cruise speeds, are:
(1) Sikorsky X2C, X2 Technology Crane – coaxial rotor (165 knots);
(2) Boeing ATRH, Advanced Tandem Rotor Helicopter (165 knots);
(3) Sikorsky X2HSL, X2 Technology High Speed Lifter – advancing blade compound (245 knots);
(4) Bell Boeing QTR, Quad Tilt Rotor (275 knots); and
(5) Frontier Aircraft OSTR, Optimum Speed Tilt Rotor (310 knots).

Here is a pic of a quad-rotor (gunship) concept from pop-mechanics in the wayback machine.

Another pop-mechanics concept pic for your viewing enjoyment.

Quoted: On reaching a safe altitude, the crew of the V-22 demonstrated their confidence in the aircraft by baling out…… V-22… half plane, half helicopter, not as good as either…

Only if we let Lucas do the electical work and Land Rover do the mechanical.

Army awards Joint Heavy Lift study contract to Bell/Boeing
09/20/2005 09:44:58 AM
By Jefferson Morris

The U.S. Army has awarded a Bell Helicopter/Boeing team a $3.45 million 18-month contract to perform conceptual design and analysis of its Quad Tiltrotor aircraft for the Joint Heavy Lift program.

The Army's Cargo Helicopters project management office is overseeing JHL with participation from the other services. Several more study contracts are expected, with a development and demonstration program to follow in fiscal 2007 (DAILY, July 26).

The Quad Tiltrotor is an evolved version of the Bell/Boeing V-22 Osprey. The QTR is a tandem-wing aircraft featuring four tilting prop-rotors and a large cargo fuselage.

Aviation Week

As far as the engine failure thing goes...

The remaining will operate both rotors...one of the significant teething problems was creating a transmission that could do that...

As far as Marine testing procedures, the V22 is the AV8 all over again.  I fly with O5/O6 Marine aviators all the time, and I can tell, it doesn't surprise me that non repeatable failure testing is the preferred method.