Curtiss-Wright X-19

Curtiss-Wright · United States · first flew 1963 · fighter

The Curtiss-Wright X-19 was an experimental VTOL research aircraft featuring four tilting propellers arranged on tandem fore and aft stub wings. It was intended to demonstrate a high-speed tilting-rotor concept for the US military.

Recognition (WEFT)

W — Wings	Mid-mounted, straight
E — Engines	2 × turboprop, fuselage-mounted
F — Fuselage	13.54 m fuselage
T — Tail	Conventional

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

Spot it by:

Tandem tilting propeller VTOL research aircraft
Four tilting prop-rotors arranged fore and aft
Cruciform tandem-wing layout

Distinctive cruciform tandem-wing layout with four large tilting propellers at the wingtips; the narrow fuselage and absence of a conventional rotor head distinguish it from helicopters.

Specifications

The Curtiss-Wright X-19 has a length of 13.54 m (44 ft).
It has a wingspan of 7.16 m (23 ft).
Its maximum speed is 770 km/h (478 mph).
Typical crew: 1.

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

History

The X-19 first flew in 1963 and underwent an extensive test programme, but the programme ended in 1965 following a crash. Performance fell short of predictions and the mechanical complexity of the four-rotor system proved difficult to manage.

Variants

Two prototypes were built; no production variants followed. The aircraft represented one of several competing VTOL concepts explored by the USAF and US Army in the 1960s.

Where you'll see it

The X-19 was purely an experimental research aircraft and never entered operational service; it is historically significant as an early exploration of the tilting-proprotor concept later realised in the V-22 Osprey.

Related aircraft

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