Bell Eagle Eye
Bell Textron · United States · first flew 1998 · reconnaissance aircraft
The Bell Eagle Eye is an unmanned tiltrotor aircraft developed by Bell in the late 1990s, combining vertical take-off and landing capability with efficient fixed-wing cruise flight. It was designed for maritime surveillance and reconnaissance missions.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | Mid-mounted, straight |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 1 × turboshaft, fuselage-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | 5.56 m fuselage |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Tiltrotor UAV combining helicopter and fixed-wing flight
- Tilting wingtip rotors for VTOL and cruise
- Developed for US Coast Guard and Navy surveillance
Distinguishable by its tilting wingtip proprotor nacelles, straight mid-mounted wing, and fuselage-mounted engine driving the rotors through a shaft system.
Specifications
- The Bell Eagle Eye has a length of 5.56 m (18 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 7.37 m (24 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 360 km/h (224 mph).
- Typical crew: 0 (unmanned).
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
First flown in 1998, the Eagle Eye was developed in response to US Coast Guard and Navy requirements for a ship-launched surveillance UAV. The tiltrotor configuration was selected to enable shipboard operations without a conventional runway.
Variants
No major production variants reached operational status; the programme was cancelled before entering service.
Where you'll see it
The Eagle Eye did not enter operational service despite completing development testing; the programme was terminated in the mid-2000s.
Related aircraft
- Bell 429 GlobalRanger
- Bell D-292
- Bell 400 TwinRanger
- Bell 505 Jet Ranger X
- AeroVironment Centurion
- Boeing X-40A
- IAI Searcher II
- Northrop Grumman RQ-4 Global Hawk
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