A few of my tilt-rotor whifs for your enjoyment... (I hope).Grumman OV-1H Mohawk IIThe
Grumman OV-1H Mohawk II was the next logical step in the evolution of the reliable and flexible G-134 design. Featuring widened and shortened wings, it became the first operational tilt-rotor in the U.S. inventory when the Army took delivery of the first aircraft in June 1986. The
G-134TR Mohawk II proved a valuable asset in difficult missions over Panama and Nicaragua, where the hostile environment made landing impossible to the original version. The
Mohawk II was used for observation (
OV-1H), as a rescue aircraft (
HV-1H) and as an armed counter-insurgencency type (
AV-1H). On top of the 110 new examples built by Grumman, most
Mohawks remaining in the inventory were overhauled and brought up to "II" standard, bringing the total in operation up to 250. These versions, although externally similar to the new frames, presented a number of technical differences and were therefore designated with the use of the "J" suffix letter instead (
OV-1J,
HV-1J). There were no
AV-1J conversions, as all 60 COIN aircraft were new from the factory. Finally, a small utility transport with deepened fuselage was produced in 12 examples (
UV-1K). The last Mohawk II was retired from service in May 2003, making the G-134 family one of the most enduring designs in U.S. service.
Vought V-498 Bluebird VTOLSome may remember my Vought-Sikorsky
Shrike (then again you may not... lol). Well, anyway, here is another take on the LTV XC-142 concept, the LTV V-498
Bluebird (which derived its name from Vought's very first aircraft). It was produced in small numbers for a few regional airlines in the U.S. and Canada, such as the now defunct New York Airways, seen here.
Bell-Boeing CV-22C Long OspreyThe Bell-Boeing CV-22C
Osprey is a new transport variant for the US Navy. It can be seen here on take-off trials from USS Harry Truman (CVN-75) in June 2015. The tough part in this picture was not to create the CV-22C from the regular version... it was coming up with a complete picture of the aircraft-carrier's tower! I had to rework it from several pictures...
Boeing-Lear CV-24A HummingbirdWhat if Bell/Boeing's V-22 had not been the first operational VTOL? What if Boeing had teamed up with Learjet instead to offer an heir to the old X-19 concept and make it work as a liaison/VIP transport? This is what the fake advertisement above is all about.
And finally a tilt-duct... Not quite what this topic is about, but since someone included a tilt-duct above, I may as well add mine here.Boeing-Bell XV-16A PLR VTOLContrary to popular belief, The V-22
Osprey is not the first joint effort by Bell and Boeing. In 1976, Boeing Vertol teamed up with Bell's Helicopter Division on a proposal for the Army's PLR (Power Lift Rotorcraft) program. Designated XV-16A in the VTOL series, this clean-looking and able performer combined Boeing's experience with transport helicopters and Bell's expertise in VTOL, in this case capitalizing on the tilt-duct research that culminated in the highly successful X-22A prototype a decade before. The PLR program was canceled despite a successful two-year evaluation phase because it was found that its advantages did not outweigh the 35% increase in costs from operating it instead of a conventional
Chinook.