The XV-3 featured an engine mounted in the fuselage with drive shafts transferring power to, two-bladed rotor assemblies mounted on the wingtips. The wingtip rotor assemblies were mounted to tilt 90 degrees from vertical to horizontal, designed to allow the XV-3 to take off and land like a helicopter but fly at faster airspeeds, similar to a conventional fixed-wing aircraft. (US Air Force Photo)
Restored Bell XV-3 at Alliance Airshow in Fort Worth, Texas - October, 2006.The XV-3 was first flown on 11 August 1955. Although it was limited in performance, the aircraft successfully demonstrated the tiltrotor concept, accomplishing 110 transitions from helicopter to airplane mode between December 18, 1958 and July 1962. The XV-3 program ended when the remaining aircraft was severely damaged in a wind tunnel accident in 1966.
