Bell XV-15 Tiltrotor

Bell XV-15 Tiltrotor
Country	USA
Role	Experimental VTOL aircraft
First flight	3 May 1977
Built	2

The Bell XV-15 is an American tiltrotor VTOL aircraft. It was the second successful experimental tiltrotor aircraft and the first to demonstrate the concept’s high speed performance relative to conventional helicopters.

Source: Bell XV-15 Tiltrotor on Wikipedia

Bell XV-15 Tiltrotor Walk Around
Photographer	Michael Benolkin
Localisation	Unknow
Photos	15

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General Characteristics and Concept

The Bell XV-15 Tiltrotor was an experimental aircraft developed jointly by the U.S. Army and NASA in the 1970s. It was the successful proof-of-concept demonstrator for the tiltrotor design, which combines the vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) capability of a helicopter with the high-speed, long-range cruise performance of a conventional fixed-wing aircraft. The XV-15 featured large, three-bladed rotors mounted on nacelles at the wingtips that could be tilted from a vertical position (for helicopter mode) to a horizontal position (for airplane mode). This revolutionary design paved the way for the production of the larger and more capable V-22 Osprey.

Property	Typical Value
Role	Experimental Technology Demonstrator (V/STOL)
National Origin	United States
Manufacturer	Bell Helicopter Textron / NASA / US Army
First Flight	3 May 1977 (Conventional flight)
First Conversion Flight	24 July 1979
Crew	2 (Pilot and Co-Pilot)
Length	12.83 m (42 ft 1 in)
Wingspan	9.78 m (32 ft 1 in)
Rotor Diameter (Each)	7.62 m (25 ft 0 in)
Maximum Takeoff Weight	6,804 kg (15,000 lb)

Powerplant and Performance

Engines: Two Lycoming LTC1K-4K (T53-L-13) turboshaft engines.
Power Output (Each): Approx. 1,139 kW (1,530 shp).
Drive System: A critical cross-shaft system connects the two rotors, allowing one engine to power both rotors in case of a single-engine failure, ensuring safety during vertical flight.
Maximum Speed: 407 km/h (253 mph; 220 knots).
- Note: This was significantly faster than conventional helicopters of the time.
Cruise Speed: 310 km/h (193 mph; 167 knots).
Service Ceiling: 4,770 m (15,650 ft).
Range: 825 km (513 mi; 445 nautical miles).

Tiltrotor Conversion

Vertical Mode (Helicopter): Nacelles are vertical, rotors operate like a helicopter for vertical take-off, hover, and landing (VTOL).
Conversion: The nacelles are rotated forward by 90° in flight, transitioning the aircraft from rotor lift to wing lift. This process takes approximately 12 seconds.
Horizontal Mode (Aircraft): Nacelles are horizontal, rotors function as propellers for high-speed forward flight (fixed-wing mode).
Armament: None. As a technology demonstrator, the XV-15 was not armed.
Legacy: The successful flight testing of the XV-15 directly led to the development of the V-22 Osprey, currently used by the US military, and the commercial AW609.