Bell’s civil tiltrotor makes its own way toward first flight | Aviation International News

Bell’s civil tiltrotor makes its own way toward first flight

While its bigger cousin in the Marines stays grounded, work on the civil tiltrotor is proceeding in the same Bell Helicopter hangars from which the first p

By Bill Wagstaff

May 21, 2008

While its bigger cousin in the Marines stays grounded, work on the civil tiltrotor is proceeding in the same Bell Helicopter hangars from which the first prototype V-22 Ospreys rolled out some 13 years ago in Arlington, Texas. While the Marines’ MV-22 has suffered through an agonizing, sometimes tragic decade-and-change of design, redesign, modification, cancellation and resurrection, the Bell/Agusta BA609 has had smoother sailing so far, albeit with one major caveat–it has yet to fly.

Engineers and technicians at Bell’s Arlington Plant 6 facility are working hard to alleviate that small detail, readying the first prototype for an initial aerial excursion Bell still vows will take place by year-end.

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