tinderbox
Asia Timesにオスプレイに関する興味深い記事がのっています。原文におあたりください。
tinderboxは火縄銃に火をつけるために用いられた「火口（ほくち）箱」のことですが、今では比喩で「危険な人、もの、場所」という意味で使われます。（UG）
Osprey a new tinderbox on Okinawa
By Kosuke Takahashi
TOKYO - On May 23, 1988, in Arlington, Texas, Bell Helicopter unveiled with much fanfare a new combo-aircraft; a fixed-wing plane that could climb and hover like a helicopter, but also rotate its giant propellers forward and fly like an airplane.
On that day, Peter Van Sant, then correspondent for CBS Evening News with Dan Rather, reported that the never-seen-before plane was a "a revolutionary new aircraft" that was the latest "future shock". He expected the plane would carry commuters to Washington or Boston from downtown Manhattan, as it could take off and land in downtown business districts, reducing travel times.
It was called the V-22.
