this airplane the XV 15 tiltrotor
represents one of the most versatile
research aircraft coming out of
aeronautical development today the
planes unique feature is that it can set
its rotors at any position from full
upright helicopter mode to nearly 90
degrees forward much like that of a
conventional turboprop the quiet
performance of the tiltrotor combines
the ability to take off and land like a
helicopter with the speed payload
capacity and range of a fixed-wing
airplane
initially conceived in the late 1970s
the tiltrotor represents a combined
effort by NASA Ames Research Center the
US Army and bell helicopter textron the
Defense Department is planning to
purchase a larger version this plane
called the jb x the XP 15 total was
unveiled recently to an audience in
washington DC after flying a commuter
tests off from Teterboro New Jersey here
you can follow the tiltrotor as it takes
a tour of the nation's capital
civil applications range from servicing
offshore oil rates and intercity
transports NASA's John Ward explains
early on the first opportunity would be
a corporate application for a high-speed
corporate helicopter rotorcraft it can
go beyond that very naturally to
commuter applications where you would
use the vehicle at the 30 to 40
passenger size to apply to the inner
city or regional to hub airport
transportation system the tiltrotor has
a perfect application where you can all
very large loads
or long-range I speed without developing
large Airport
the XV 15 NASA technology working for
greater speed efficiency safety and
versatility in aeronautics