×
Aircraft / Aviation Vehicles & Artillery Infantry Arms Warships & Submarines Military Pay Chart (2023) Military Ranks
Advertisements
HOME
AIRCRAFT / AVIATION
MODERN AIR FORCES
COUNTRIES
MANUFACTURERS
COMPARE
BY CONFLICT
BY TYPE
BY DECADE
COLD WAR
X-PLANE
Aviation / Aerospace

Bell XV-15


VTOL Technology Demonstrator [ 1977 ]



The Bell XV-15 tilt-rotor technology demonstrator was the forerunner to the in-service V-22 Osprey of the American military.



Authored By: Staff Writer | Last Edited: 03/04/2020 | Content ©www.MilitaryFactory.com | The following text is exclusive to this site.

GO TO SPECIFICATIONS [+]
Advertisements
Since the dawn of vertical-to-horizontal flight offered by helicopters (the first operational models were had during World War 2), aeronautical engineers have strived for ways to incorporate even better straight-line performance. This led to a myriad of experiments seen throughout the Cold War period as companies attempted to find a proper solution. For a time, "pusher" propellers seemed the future while other designs relied on complex turbojet arrangements coupled to traditional helicopter blade arrangements. In time, the technology behind "tilting" nacelles was refined, leading to the concept of the "tilt-rotor" aircraft - an air vehicle that was part helicopter, part airplane.

In time, Bell worked on bringing its XV-3 prototype to life which followed the Transcendental "Model 1-G" and "Model 2" forms. The Model 1-G was the first tilt-rotor in aviation history to fly and was powered by reciprocating engines buried in the fuselage driving power, via shafts, to wingtip rotors that could tilt. The subsequent XV-3, a more evolved form of the Model 1-G and Model 2, reached the skies in 1955 using similar concepts and this aircraft went on to hold the distinction of becoming the first tilt-rotor aircraft to convert from vertical-to-horizontal flight, paving the way for the refined XV-15 development that followed.

The XV-15 was a radical redesign of the same tilt-rotor approach but relocated its engines to tilting nacelles placed at the wingtips. Between the two engines was a shared driveshaft to be relied upon should one engine fail - the other could keep up the workload. The XV-15 project was formally launched in 1971.

The basic arrangement of the XV-15, which is mimicked today by the in-service V-22 of the American military, was set: the fuselage held a helicopter-like form with side-by-side seating at the cockpit for two crewmen while the aft-section was tapered. Over the roof of the vehicle was seated the shared wing component to which the tilting engine nacelles were seated at the tips, these driving large, thick rotor blades about an oversized spinner. The fuselage was braced on the ground by a retractable tricycle arrangement and the tail incorporated a twin-fin rudder configuration set on a shared horizontal plane.

The XV-15 was flown for the first time on May 3rd, 1977 and, itself, was the progenitor to the Boeing V-22 "Osprey" line detailed elsewhere on this site. The Boeing V-22 became the first tilt-rotor aircraft to formally enter operational service n 2007.

The U.S. government contracted for a pair of flyable prototypes to continue the program and competition was had from Boeing, Grumman, and Sikorsky joining Bell. For NASA, the Bell submission ultimately won out with its Model 301 when going head-to-head against Boeing (which supplied its Model 222). Bell then produced two prototypes, N702NA and N703NA. These went on to be extensively tested at the Ames Research Center in Mountain View, California and then to Dryden (NASA, Edwards AFB) for their time in the air. It made its public debut at Paris Air Show 1981 and proved itself a hit with onlookers.

N702NA later crashed on a test flight (no loss of life) with its remains reconstituted for the simulator role. N703NA survived its flying days to become a display, first, at the National Museum of the United States Air Force in Dayton, Ohio and then, later, a display at the Udvar-Hazy Center aviation museum near Washington, D.C.

With its usefulness over, the XV-15 series was retired in full in 2003.

Bell teamed with Boeing to bring about the V-22 series, a larger version of the XV-15 with greater power and capabilities.©MilitaryFactory.com
Note: The above text is EXCLUSIVE to the site www.MilitaryFactory.com. It is the product of many hours of research and work made possible with the help of contributors, veterans, insiders, and topic specialists. If you happen upon this text anywhere else on the internet or in print, please let us know at MilitaryFactory AT gmail DOT com so that we may take appropriate action against the offender / offending site and continue to protect this original work.
Advertisements

Specifications



Service Year
1977

Origin
United States national flag graphic
United States

Status
RETIRED
Not in Service.
Crew
2

Production
2
UNITS


Bell Helicopter Textron - USA
(View other Aviaton-Related Manufacturers)
National flag of the United States United States (retired)
(OPERATORS list includes past, present, and future operators when applicable)
X-Plane (Developmental, Prototype, Technology Demonstrator)
Aircraft developed for the role of prototyping, technology demonstration, or research / data collection.


Length
42.2 ft
(12.85 m)
Width/Span
57.3 ft
(17.45 m)
Height
12.6 ft
(3.85 m)
Empty Wgt
10,086 lb
(4,575 kg)
MTOW
13,228 lb
(6,000 kg)
Wgt Diff
+3,142 lb
(+1,425 kg)
(Showcased structural values pertain to the base Bell XV-15 production variant)
Installed: 2 x Avco Lycoming LTC1K-4K (T53-L-13B) turboshaft engines developing 1,550 horsepower each driving three-bladed propeller units in tilting nacelles.
Max Speed
348 mph
(560 kph | 302 kts)
Ceiling
29,035 ft
(8,850 m | 5 mi)
Range
513 mi
(825 km | 1,528 nm)


♦ MACH Regime (Sonic)
Sub
Trans
Super
Hyper
HiHyper
ReEntry
RANGES (MPH) Subsonic: <614mph | Transonic: 614-921 | Supersonic: 921-3836 | Hypersonic: 3836-7673 | Hi-Hypersonic: 7673-19180 | Reentry: >19030


(Showcased performance specifications pertain to the base Bell XV-15 production variant. Performance specifications showcased above are subject to environmental factors as well as aircraft configuration. Estimates are made when Real Data not available. Compare this aircraft entry against any other in our database or View aircraft by powerplant type)
Hardpoint Mountings:


XV-15 - Base Project Designation; two flyable forms completed.


Military lapel ribbon for Operation Allied Force
Military lapel ribbon for the Arab-Israeli War
Military lapel ribbon for the Battle of Britain
Military lapel ribbon for the Battle of Midway
Military lapel ribbon for the Berlin Airlift
Military lapel ribbon for the Chaco War
Military lapel ribbon for the Cold War
Military lapel ribbon for the Cuban Missile Crisis
Military lapel ribbon for pioneering aircraft
Military lapel ribbon for the Falklands War
Military lapel ribbon for the French-Indochina War
Military lapel ribbon for the Golden Age of Flight
Military lapel ribbon for the 1991 Gulf War
Military lapel ribbon for the Indo-Pak Wars
Military lapel ribbon for the Iran-Iraq War
Military lapel ribbon for the Korean War
Military lapel ribbon for the 1982 Lebanon War
Military lapel ribbon for the Malayan Emergency
Military lapel ribbon representing modern aircraft
Military lapel ribbon for the attack on Pearl Harbor
Military lapel ribbon for the Six Day War
Military lapel ribbon for the Soviet-Afghan War
Military lapel ribbon for the Spanish Civil War
Military lapel ribbon for the Suez Crisis
Military lapel ribbon for the Ukranian-Russian War
Military lapel ribbon for the Vietnam War
Military lapel ribbon for Warsaw Pact of the Cold War-era
Military lapel ribbon for the WASP (WW2)
Military lapel ribbon for the World War 1
Military lapel ribbon for the World War 2
Military lapel ribbon for the Yom Kippur War
Military lapel ribbon for experimental x-plane aircraft


Ribbon graphics not necessarily indicative of actual historical campaign ribbons. Ribbons are clickable to their respective aerial campaigns / operations / aviation periods.

Images Gallery



1 / 12
Image of the Bell XV-15
Image copyright www.MilitaryFactory.com; No Reproduction Permitted.
2 / 12
Image of the Bell XV-15
Image copyright www.MilitaryFactory.com; No Reproduction Permitted.
3 / 12
Image of the Bell XV-15
Image copyright www.MilitaryFactory.com; No Reproduction Permitted.
4 / 12
Image of the Bell XV-15
Image copyright www.MilitaryFactory.com; No Reproduction Permitted.
5 / 12
Image of the Bell XV-15
Image copyright www.MilitaryFactory.com; No Reproduction Permitted.
6 / 12
Image of the Bell XV-15
Image copyright www.MilitaryFactory.com; No Reproduction Permitted.
7 / 12
Image of the Bell XV-15
Image copyright www.MilitaryFactory.com; No Reproduction Permitted.
8 / 12
Image of the Bell XV-15
Image copyright www.MilitaryFactory.com; No Reproduction Permitted.
9 / 12
Image of the Bell XV-15
Image copyright www.MilitaryFactory.com; No Reproduction Permitted.
10 / 12
Image of the Bell XV-15
Image from NASA image archives; Public Domain.
11 / 12
Image of the Bell XV-15
Image from NASA image archives; Public Domain.
12 / 12
Image of the Bell XV-15
Image from NASA image archives; Public Domain.


Advertisements




Disclaimer | Privacy Policy | Cookies


2023 Military Pay Chart Military Ranks DoD Dictionary Conversion Calculators Military Alphabet Code Military Map Symbols

The "Military Factory" name and MilitaryFactory.com logo are registered ® U.S. trademarks protected by all applicable domestic and international intellectual property laws. All written content, illustrations, and photography are unique to this website (unless where indicated) and not for reuse/reproduction in any form. Material presented throughout this website is for historical and entertainment value only and should not to be construed as usable for hardware restoration, maintenance, or general operation. We do not sell any of the items showcased on this site. Please direct all other inquiries to militaryfactory AT gmail.com.

Part of a network of sites that includes GlobalFirepower, a data-driven property used in ranking the top military powers of the world, WDMMA.org (World Directory of Modern Military Aircraft), WDMMW.org (World Directory of Modern Military Warships), SR71blackbird.org, detailing the history of the world's most iconic spyplane, and MilitaryRibbons.info, cataloguing military medals and ribbons.

View day-by-day actions of the American Civil War with CivilWarTimeline.net. View day-by-day actions of World War II with SecondWorldWarHistory.com.


©2023 www.MilitaryFactory.com • All Rights Reserved • Content ©2003-2023 (20yrs)