Curtiss-Wright X-100

Curtiss-Wright · United States · first flew 1960 · transport aircraft

The Curtiss-Wright X-100 was an experimental tilt-propeller VTOL research aircraft, designed to investigate the feasibility of vertical and short takeoff using propellers that could rotate from vertical to horizontal thrust.

Recognition (WEFT)

W — Wings	High-mounted, straight
E — Engines	1 × turboshaft, fuselage-mounted
F — Fuselage	Slab-sided pod fuselage on quadricycle undercarriage
T — Tail	Conventional

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Spot it by:

Tilt-propeller VTOL research aircraft
Single turboshaft driving two tilting propellers
Slab-sided pod fuselage on quadricycle undercarriage

Distinctive stub-wing mounting with two large-diameter tilting propellers; very short fuselage pod with high tail and fixed quadricycle undercarriage sets it apart from all contemporaries.

Specifications

The Curtiss-Wright X-100 has a length of 8.5 m (28 ft).
It has a wingspan of 9.14 m (30 ft).
Its maximum speed is 296 km/h (184 mph).
Typical crew: 1.

Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.

History

Developed in the late 1950s under US military research contracts, the X-100 used a single Lycoming T53 turboshaft driving two outboard propellers that could tilt through 90 degrees. First flown in 1960, it demonstrated both hover and conventional forward flight but revealed challenging transition characteristics. Experience from the X-100 informed the larger X-19 programme.

Variants

Only one X-100 prototype was built; there were no production variants.

Where you'll see it

Used solely as a research aircraft by the US military; it was not adopted for operational service and is preserved at a US museum.

Related aircraft

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