My sense is that the Osprey is pretty complex due to it's VTOL features. I don't quite see how this is any less complicated, I wonder how reliably this could be made to operate.
The entire rotor assembly on the Osprey pivots. On the Puffin it is fixed and the entire craft changes its orientation between takeoff, flight, and landing. Whether that makes it more reliable or easier to operate, I have no idea.
It sure does. Changing the orientation of the Osprey's rotors must subject the whole assembly to some nasty forces.
Ah, good points here guys. I had not thought of that.