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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: 09/27/2023 | Content ©www.MilitaryFactory.com | The following text is exclusive to this site.

VIEW SPECIFICATIONS [+]
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.

Specifications



Bell Helicopter Textron - USA
Manufacturer(s)
United States (retired)
Operators National flag of the United States
1977
Service Year
United States
National Origin
Retired
Project Status
2
Crew
2
Units


X-PLANE
Aircraft developed for the role of prototyping, technology demonstration, or research / data collection.


42.2 ft
(12.85 meters)
Length
57.3 ft
(17.45 meters)
Width/Span
12.6 ft
(3.85 meters)
Height
10,086 lb
(4,575 kilograms)
Empty Weight
13,228 lb
(6,000 kilograms)
Maximum Take-Off Weight
+3,142 lb
(+1,425 kg)
Weight Difference


2 x Avco Lycoming LTC1K-4K (T53-L-13B) turboshaft engines developing 1,550 horsepower each driving three-bladed propeller units in tilting nacelles.
Propulsion
348 mph
(560 kph | 302 knots)
Max Speed
227 mph
(365 kph | 197 knots)
Cruise Speed
+121 mph
(+195 kph | 105 knots)
Speed Difference
29,035 ft
(8,850 m | 5 miles)
Ceiling
513 miles
(825 km | 445 nm)
Range


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



Hardpoints


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


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Military lapel ribbon for the Yom Kippur War
Military lapel ribbon for experimental x-plane aircraft

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