Bell X-22
Bell Aircraft Corporation · United States · first flew 1966 · transport aircraft
The X-22 was an American experimental VTOL research aircraft that used four tilting ducted fans mounted on tandem wings to explore vertical takeoff and high-speed forward flight in one design.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | Mid-mounted, straight |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 4 × turboshaft, wing-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | compact fuselage with a side-by-side cockpit |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- four large ducted fans at the tips of stubby tandem wings
- compact fuselage with a side-by-side cockpit
- rear wing carrying the two aft ducts, beneath a single tall vertical fin
Four large ducted fans mounted at the tips of stubby tandem wings, front and rear, with a compact fuselage carrying a side-by-side cockpit, give it a shape unlike most other VTOL designs.
Specifications
- The Bell X-22 has a length of 12.07 m (40 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 11.96 m (39 ft).
- Typical crew: 2.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
First flown in 1966, the X-22 was built for a joint US services program studying tilt-duct VTOL technology as a possible basis for future transport aircraft, flying an extensive research program into the 1980s.
Variants
Two prototypes were built; one was lost in an early accident, and the second continued flying for NASA and Calspan research into VTOL flight control.
Where you'll see it
Never entered operational service; flown solely as a research aircraft.
Related aircraft
- Bell X-14
- Bell X-2
- Bell XV-3
- Bell HSL
- Boeing VC-96
- Dornier Do 28D Skyservant
- Dornier Do 28D-2 Skyservant
- Gulfstream II
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