Journal OACI

No. 8

Studies are under way at Bell Helicopter Textron for possible development of a large tilt-rotor V/STOL aircraft. (Teamed with Boeing, the firm already is developing a large version of this V/STOL concept for military use.) The XV-15 prototype has demonstrated a cruise speed of over 550 km/h at an altitude of 16,000 feet. Thus, a large commercial version would be superior in many operating roles currently performed by more conventional helicopters and STOL aircraft, developers believe.