VTOL Power - The Incredible Bell X-22 VTOL Plane
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- čas přidán 30. 06. 2024
- Special thanks to: AerospaceProjectsReview.com
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In the early 60s, there were several studies into creating the first mass-produced vtol aircraft. A plane that could operate like a jet, and then at the same time, land vertically where needed.
Bell, who had been exploring such designs throughout the 50s, had a promising lead with ducted fans. They had designed an aircraft called the D-190 sea-air-resuce utility aircraft for the airforce, that could even be carried under the fuslage of a lockheed C-130 huclues.
Engineers discovered that a duel tandem ducted fan configuration allowed a shorter wingspan, and thus a lighter and smaller design to work. The tilt wing Vought XC-142A would win this contest, just beating the Bell and Lockheed D-2064, but the community was so impressed with the bell lockheed design that and they were given a $27 million contract, a quarter of a billion dollars today, to bring it life. Internally they called this version the exciting name of Model D2127, but was quickly dubbed the X-22 program.
This is what it was like.
The Bell X-22A had a somewhat boxy fulsage that was 39.7 feet long and a wingspan of 39 feet wide, although its front wing was only 23 feet wide, and came to around 20 feet tall. This smaller stature allowed it to fit within hangers and ships without any folding wings. As it was quick small, it only had a maximum take off weight of 8000 kg, or 17,600 pounds with its four GE turboshaft engines, prouding 1267 house poer, or 945 kilowatts each. Each of the propellers were 7 foot wide, or 2.13 meters.
These tilted ducked fans were the magic of the design. They would be able to rotate completely to allow the aircraft to lift from the ground vertically, then horizontally to allow the plane, if i can call it that, to fly horizontally at some speed.
These propellers would be able to take the aircraft up to a top speed of 221 kn (254 mph, 409 km/h), 387 nmi (445 mi, 716 km), so hardly the range or speed we commonly discuss on the channel, but compared to the range and speed of a typical helicopter today, the bell 206 long ranger, its around double the speed and comparatively the same range. It would have a service celining of around 27,800 feet, or 8,500 meters, meaning the cabin would require pressurization to keep the crew and passengers in comfort.
Bell fully intended for this design to be the beginnings of a whole new line up of military and civil aircraft. We know that there were at least 10 other varients proposed, and while we don't have information on them all, here is the highlight reel
an enlarged development of X-22 for cargo operations with a rear ramp.
a ducted fan large transport aircraft using the same fan configuration for marine deployment.
ducted fan very large transport aircraft (also known as Model 2240) for military operations under fire.
armed X-22A proposal, two trainable gun pods, an offset underside turret (looking not unlike the turret used on early Cobras) and a single deployable rocket pod.
USAF Tactical Air Command VTOL aircraft, with ncluding a wholly new tandem cockpit and bombs that it could drop on enemy positions.
Another version with guns but also a missile racks - pew pew
a special navy search and resuce verison
and apaprently there was one that could also launch turpedos, giving the convair submersible plane video a run for its money.
So if it was so great... why was it never put into production?
in 1968, the x-22 was deemed most useful for the US navy, who then took over the project for futher testing. and by futher testing, i mean a good solid 15 years of tests.
The x-22a was always intended to be a test airframe, and had several design flaws.
For one, it never reached the top speed of 525 km/h, or 326 miles per hour, that the navy needed, although it came very close with the 504 km per hour in a test flight on a very windy day. This with the range and lifting capacity of the aircraft seemed weak, the navy couldn't really find a role for the aircraft. Especially that this prototype would require a 2nd design in actual production.
Also, it was rumored that the navy never really liked the design, prefering a competing Douglas model that never reached the prototype stage. So perhas the powers that be simply decided to park the concept aircraft that landed on their plate. Ahh politics.
Another issue with the design was noise. The small ducted fan like on the X-22 made a loud roar. Thus there would either need to be an upgraded stealth design, or the aircraft would not be suitable for combat roles - the enemy heard it coming.
With more funding and research required to make the x-22 work, the US military decided it had gone far enough, and that its learnings could be used for a totally new design, one that would slowly evolve into the V-22, which switched from ducted fans to tilting rotors.
Shout out to Aerospace Projects Review for help with this video! Check out the website here for much more content!
www.aerospaceprojectsreview.com
Wait so if the engines would burn the carrier deck how come we have f35s with vtol? Not used on carriers?
@@B01 the jet exhaust isn't used for the F-35 VTOL, it's a separate ducted fan driven off of the turbine.
А я в России - курю гнилую труху.
0 8
@Found And Explained, do you know if the blades spun clockwise or anticlockwise! Thanks
My dad was an instrumentation engineer for the X22-A project at Bell Aerospace. When I was in grade school (during the 60's) there were drawings, metal piece-parts, brackets, levers, instruments all over the coffee table at almost all times. Good memories. Thanks for this!
Looks like scorpion helicopter from avatar
So that’s what it’s called
I still want to know the name of the mothership though
(Edit) thanks for telling me guys
No, the Scorpion looks like the X-22!
@@bmac7643 Dragon Gunship
@@bmac7643 C-21 Dragon Assault Gunship
"Dragon Assault Ship | Avatar Wiki | Fandom" james-camerons-avatar.fandom.com/wiki/Dragon_Assault_Ship
mini version of Dragon gunship from avatar
The Bell X-22 is a really underrated aircraft,
I glad you did a video about it.
It's cool, but it be usless in real life
the history of american aviation: a truly unique and potentially game-changing concept gets drafted, then killed by corruption, political infighting and bureaucracy. every single time
Considering the crap that gets put in production despite glaring flaws makes me suspect that these failed types must have been down right atrocious.
Yeah, or it just didn't work as desired with the technology of the time.
@@Ushio01 Its called money. If it won't make a profit its not worth getting. If its too exspensive to bad you can take your dreams elseware but we still have your trademark so guess what you can't build it anyway >:D
@@Quetzalcoatl_Feathered_Serpent You can't trademark a design. This would be patented and they only last a couple of decades.
@yo yo sad yf23 noises; what about the xv5 vertifan?- you can't convince me there is enough vtols in the world (although the f35b has improved it a little)- and that is mainly due to politics from the sories I heard
It is beautiful, still looks futuristic, if only someone started this program from scratch, it would be an amazing plane or drone...........
I grew up near the Buffalo international airport where some of the testing was done. It was always followed by one or two helicopters, and had an unusual sound (for people who lived next to an airport) and in the neighborhood we called it "Baby Huey" after a bumbling fat duck cartoon character
Ha ha...
Yeah, you could hear that distinctive sound coming miles away! Calspan took over some of the flight testing and that sound changed pitch slightly. They were trying a different shroud material made of plastic-honeycomb laminated within nylon to reduce weight specifically around the rotors for some reason. Carbon fiber existed, but it was incredibly expensive and mostly unknown at the time.
That "pew pew" caught me off guard LOL
I recall seeing quite a few ducted fans on the TV news.
But I was most impressed with a larger osprey concept that could fly a complete operating room into disaster area.
Imagine what a company like textron could do with this design as a General Aviation aircraft using modern composites and hybrid PowerPlants.
Oh damn, I remember looking up about ducted tiltrotor turboprops, and I think this is one
Awesome aircraft! My grandfather was a test pilot on this program and has some great old photographs of it. Loved watching this.
This would be perfect for fighting the Brotherhood of Nod.
Yes. Reinforcements have arrived
When a V22 and a quad rotor drone has a kid this is what we get:
Neither of those aircraft were even conceived back then.
@@superskullmaster I am aware, it is just a joke
@@captain_commenter8796 How design concepts in a never-produced aircraft led to the creation of mass-produced designs like the Mirage G inspiring Russia to make the MIG-23 Flogger swing-wing fighter
That makes the X22 a cougar.
PLEASE NEVER STOP DOING WHAT YOU DO
Bell’s VTOL game has always been strong!
Actually now Bell is falling behind, just milking the defense contracts...
@@electricaviationchannelvid7863 not anymore. Seems they finally nailed the tiltrotor design.
Amazing concept
I have a Bell-made model of the X22A. It was given to an Air Force Project Manager at Wright-Patterson AFB who was on the project. The fan ducts rotate and it is mounted on a bespoke Bell stand in a flying position. I stumbled on it at an estate sale and was astonished (I was aware of the plane but it was a footnote and no commercial model ever existed). His widow said it wasn't for sale but realized I knew exactly what it was and said her husband would have appreciated another pilot's enthusiasm for the real X-22 and gave it to me. It's my coolest thing.
I have one too. My father worked on that project until 1972
I remember the videos when you've just started the channel. Holy darn you've improved so much!
Thanks for sticking around! I’m courious where we will go next!
Great design, huge rudder, wings for lift at speed. Could of seen many uses outside of military applications. Pretty stable aerial platform.
It did though. The v22 osprey. It just looks a bit different.
The animations were absolutely fantastic!
Thanks you made my day
Agreed love these. What software did you use for modeling/animation/rendering
Love these videos man!
Oh just noticed that you're premiering, was just watching a few shorts.
The x-22 has always been one of my favorite aircraft design.
Great Video!!
I am a fan of your work. And have been waiting anxiously for your next video.
One suggestion, can u do videos of some unbuilt modern fighter aircrafts. Such as the proposed F-16IN, F-15SE, RAH-66 Comanche etc.
I guess material on these projects would be easily available.
With love from Pakistan 🇵🇰
Sure what a great idea!
Great video, as usual...thanks from Rome!
I mentioned it earlier, but for this video it seems extra fitting. Will you make a video about Darpa’s VTOLX?
That looks crazy!
I love helicopters and any type of VTOL aircraft. The designers really had imagination and skill to build all those strange looking ships and get them to work..
Love the channel. A small note on the animation. Half the blades should rotate CCW. Not only does it make sense on a theoretical level, the angles of the blades indicates this is the intended direction.
Additionally, the back rotors are mirrored to the front ones, so for example front left turns ccw, back left cw, front right cw, back right ccw. Just like most quadcopters are cofingured.
This is one of those projects which don’t sound overly ambitious, but still extremely cool.
Wow. So good to know about this one. Will you be talking about the dream VTOL Aircraft ??
Got to hand it to 1960's engineers, they were designing the future
X22 so osprey is the eventual success. Even though that took a decade (and lots of money) from prototype to deployment.
Interesting there was/is a proposed variation of design of the osprey with 4 rotors/engines across 2 wings.
Great video! One point - the props on starboard side should rotate in the opposite direction to the ones on the port side.
Thanks!
Flying wing in the background. Nice touch.
Cool !
I grew up in the Buffalo/Niagara area and I actually got to see the remaining X-22 when it was on display, sadly as far as I know that museum shut down and the aircraft is now in storage.
Fixed-wing VTOLs are awesome, I hope to see them in general aviation market soon
vtols aren't as useful as they seem ,the f35 alone is slow as hell and cant turn well compared to other stealth fighters in the same category, and this thing wont replace the osprey in all honesty as its bigger and carries similar amount as the osprey
@@HighFlyer6969 No one said anything about selling supersonic stealth VTOLs to general aviation
When I volunteered for the Elmira New York Regional airport's national warplane museum in 2006 the first model prototype x22 fuselage cockpit (the one that crashed) was stored in the restoration hangar
Thank you for doing the "pew pew" sound effect :)
One of the first true quadcopters, with all the benefits that came with it. A shame this concept was never pursued.
Cool!!
AMAZINGNES!!!
ahead of its time
Surprised you did not include the Flying Pogo . My Father worked on part of that aircraft and said it was a flying death trap as well as the " silver bug " craft. Thanks for the share . :O)
Ahh yes good old 60s
When I was growing up in a suburb of Buffalo, we would sometimes see the prototype flying overhead. The flights were always slow and accompanied by a helicopter or two.
Awesome aircraft! X-22 should be resurrected and produced for all time to come. Cheers!
That design is perfect for space station , super aircraft carrier
5 days ago I had the idea to build a drone like this.
Now I find out there's old designs to copy 😆
The modularity, faster speed, and easy control of this concept would be really good for Coast Guard search and rescue, counter piracy, and trafficking operations since it has finer control, carrying carry a team of six. This is engineering done right
John " Jack " Beilman ( my grandfather) designed and obsessed over this model. He told me it cost a fortune to run it.
Interesting fact, The musician Ani Difranco's dad, was my grandfather's friend and they made this VTOL aircraft.
Nello?,
Alex, I hereby command you to make videos on the following aircraft:
Edgley Optica
Nord 500 Cadet
Cassna Skymaster
Looks good on paper
07:54 - I like the sound of the X-22 firing guns.
The good year blimp of VTOLs
it's very extraordinary right this biographies
Just knowing how loud tiny RC quadcopters are, I can only imagine how loud this damn thing was. Lol
the speed and height ceiling could make this a great rescue aircraft, especially for immediate sea and mountain rescues.
Can you make a video about the junkers j 1000? it's pretty cool. Thanks
I grew up around this aircraft as a kid, my dad worked on the project. we had a metal scale model of the X-22A in the living room. I wasn't allowed to touch it 🤪
Gotta love the "pew peeeew"
The family was stationed in Niagara Falls in the mid-60s we used to watch this thing fly we lived across the road from the runway some people called it the flying garbage cans
spit coffee at my monitor at "pew pew" xD
I like it, it's very beautiful, is it existing?
Great re-creation of a concept ahead of it's time, but like the YF-23 and the P-39 Aerocobra, they dared too much with the tech they had, but what about now?
I can see why it fell short of it's range and performance goals, the reduction gearing, hydraulic pumps, motors and powertrain would have been a mechanic's nightmare. The Canadair Dynavert was a much more straightforward approach for that era.
Electric and hybrid power are coming on strong now, with capacitors for jump take-off greatly reducing the overall engine size and fuel requirements. Maybe they'll be one around to whisk me to the big-city airport the year after next.
In addition to what I just mentioned they could be outfitted with emergency surgical pods that could provide a seemless surgical transformation from scene to hospital. They could be manned by a pilot, copilot, navigator, trauma surgical team, and a boom handler. Where the paramedics on seen could easily put a patient on a gerney and the patient could be hoisted up to the vertol craft. These pods could de designed to be pulled directly to a surgical unit at a hospital. Bell should look at this idea and forget about the military. What I am describing is an EMTs dream come true. Lives would be saved.
I want one. It looks like the illegitimate love child of a Huey, a Hovercraft and an Ekranoplan.
that's a real-life LAAT!
Can you please make a video about Hawker Siddeley P.1154?
Can you please do a video about the Moller Skycar?
i enjoy
It's a shame they never produced those. They look really cool
I wish we had these today.
As kid i had foto album with experimental aircraft this was my favorite 🥰😂43 years ago 😂
Project like this one, and the similarly cool Fairey Rotodyne, always strike me as being ideal for the Royal Navy, with their focus on V/STOL carriers like the _Invincible-_ and _Queen Elizabeth-_ classes. Unfortunately, the RN has been working so hard just to _get_ a new carrier class that they probably don't have much politcal capital left to develop aircraft for it.
Let's be real here, in any REAL conflict the RN would be completely dependent on US Carrier Strike Groups for any serious power projection... It doesn't make sense for the RN to go all in on largely redundant capabilities. Practically the only reason Britain still has aircraft carriers AT ALL is politics and self image. (That whole "real navies have carriers" perception is still as prevalent as ever.)
@@Cooe. Let's be real here, the entire purpose of the carriers is to NOT be dependent on the US. The RN has extensive experience with STOVL operations; STOVL carriers have advantages and disadvantages, like any other design. The assumption that the only "right" way to do something is the American way is pretty childish, honestly.
@@Werrf1 ... And the current capabilities of Britain's carriers aren't even FUCKING CLOSE to being able to operate completely independently of US Carrier Strike Groups in an actual war scenario, meaning they utterly fail at the purpose you describe. They are nothing more than extremely expensive political props. A way for Britain to still feel like it's "still a world superpower" when that hasn't been the case since Eden invaded Egypt in literally the fucking 50's...
@@Cooe. And yet shockingly they managed to do exactly that for several decades with the _Invincible_ -class. As effective as a US carrier? No. Able to operate in an actual war scenario? Absolutely. I suggest you get your head out of your arse.
@@Werrf1 Lol Argentina isn't a real near-peer enemy. 🤣 Get the fuck outta here with that nonsense. That's like an adult picking on an elementary schooler and saying "See! I told you I was strong!".
Have you ever heard of the Dornier Do 31?
They have developed it in the late 1960s and since then no other VTOL came close with its performance.
The Canadian Dynavert was first and did it better. Including US Navy Carrier trials
This thing was incredibly loud! You would hear it 10 min before you could see it.
“Niagara Falls...slowly I turned...step by step...inch by inch...”.
😆😆😆
Will you be doing the V-44 concept;
Yet another squandered opportunity to produce a truly unique and versatile aircraft. Any objections to this designed could have easily been worked out.
Imagine it’s use for forest fires and rescue
When I was a kid that would be at the Buffalo airport testing all the time.
Zero-Length Launch is a better idea for how to get a fighter aircraft airborne without a runway anyways, as you simply discard the hardware needed to get it airborne once you're up to flying speed. ZLL is basically what you get when you strap a fairly sizeable solid fuel rocket motor to the underside of an otherwise normal fighter jet in such a way that it provides both vertical and horizontal acceleration (usually achieved by aiming the entire aircraft at a significant pitch angle relative to the horizon). Upon burnout of the solid rocket motor, it would simply drop away, leaving the aircraft with enough forward velocity to continue to accelerate using its own engine(s).
In testing they made it work with an F-104, there's no reason they couldn't get it to work with something much more modern like an F-22 or F-35A provided a sufficiently reinforced location on the aircraft to carry the high thrust of a large enough solid rocket motor.
Solid rocket motors that are up to the task already exist for use in sounding rockets, and are either stockpiled, currently in production, or are easily able to re-start production if needed. Alternatively, a group of smaller solid rocket motors could be used. The concept does not particularly depend on the exact solid rocket motor used.
As far as how to make a helicopter go faster, as the video states we got the start of the V-22 program out of the end of this one. However, there's really no will to put much if any ordinance on that airframe, but I suppose solutions would be developed as and if needed.
they were worried about the enemy hearing it coming while at the same time flying hueys lol
Its like a modern quad copter. Just supersized.
I wonder if theyd done the bigger cargo version it wouldve succeeded as it couldve also replaced the chinook
It actually looks like something that might be good use in the US coast Guard’s arsenal!!! I mean it looks like it could have more control and stability in the heavy weather storms then most single rotor helicopters!!!
A later version of the Bell X-22, called the Orca Assault Aircraft, was employed by the GDI the First Tiberium War.
Right off the Hop, it is *not* at all difficult to spot the influences that helicopter design had on this airframe, and *not* because of the ducted fans, but the fuselage.
With a bit more power and variable pitch props at a lower rpm this could probably hit all the design targets.
There is something to be said for the enemy hearing you coming, though.
Yo Nick put your other channel in the Other Channels page of your Found & Explained account
This makes so much more sense than the Osprey.
The Osprey has more than double the range
@@startedtech that's mostly due to the physical size being smaller. The Osprey has more fuel capacity because it's about twice the size. I'm talking more about the design. If it was scaled up to the Ospreys size/weight, I'm sure it would have a more comparable range.
Tiltrotor was developed from the ducted fan in order to offset the weight penalties of the ducted fan hardware
Those dimensions listed are not that far off from the osprey but it also had less horsepower combined than 1 osprey engine. It would be pretty capable with newer engines.
just a thought and not sure if it would work but what if a vtol plane had thrusters pointing down and normal jet engines pointing back
❤️❤️❤️❤️👏👏👏👏🙏🙏🙏😘😘😘 amazing I love it ❤️❤️❤️
imagine commenting before the premiere starts
Saw it go down as a kid when it crashed. My neighbor helped the pilots out of the plane.
Think the propeller would not all rotate the same direction, also, the radar cross section would be terrible
Like the enimy would hear it coming!!! The Apache is the loudest helicopter ever! 1200rpm!