LTV XC-142

Ling-Temco-Vought · United States · first flew 1964 · transport aircraft

The Ling-Temco-Vought XC-142 was an experimental tilt-wing V/STOL transport built to investigate the operational use of such aircraft.

Recognition (WEFT)

WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.

Spot it by:

• High-mounted wing that tilts to the vertical for take-off and landing
• Cruciform tail surfaces, with a separate horizontal tail rotor for pitch control in the hover
• Four large propellers on cross-linked General Electric T64 engines, and a boxy fuselage with a rear loading ramp

The combination of a tilting high wing, four propellers and a small horizontal rotor at the tail identifies it at once.

Specifications

• The LTV XC-142 has a length of 17.7 m (58 ft).
• It has a wingspan of 20.57 m (67 ft).
• Its maximum speed is 694 km/h (431 mph).
• Typical crew: 2-3.

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

History

The US Army, Navy and Air Force began work on a V/STOL transport in 1959, and a contract for five prototypes was signed in early 1962. The first XC-142A flew conventionally on 29 September 1964, hovered on 29 December 1964 and completed its first transition on 11 January 1965.

Variants

Only the XC-142A prototype was built, five in all. A production C-142B was proposed in 1966 with a lower empty weight, but was not built.

Where you'll see it

The aircraft was flown for 420 hours in 488 flights by 39 pilots. The Navy left the programme during development, and one crash, caused by failure of the driveshaft to the tail rotor, killed three people. It never went beyond the prototype stage.

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