The Bell Model 65 Air Test Vehicle (ATV) is an experimental tiltjet

VTOL A vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft is one that can takeoff and landing, take off and land vertically without relying on a runway. This classification can include a variety of types of aircraft including helicopters as well as thrust- ...

aircraft built by

Bell A bell /ˈbɛl/ () is a directly struck idiophone percussion instrument. Most bells have the shape of a hollow cup that when struck vibrates in a single strong strike tone, with its sides forming an efficient resonator. The strike may be m ...

using parts from a number of

general aviation General aviation (GA) is defined by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) as all civil aviation aircraft operations except for commercial air transport or aerial work, which is defined as specialized aviation services for other ...

aircraft.

Design and development

Bell used the fuselage of a Schweizer 1-23 glider with the wing of a Cessna 170 and the landing gear of a Bell 47 helicopter. Two thrust Fairchild J44 turbojet engines - as used on drones, missiles and for JATO - were mounted one on each side of the aircraft under the wing. These could be tilted from horizontal to vertical. A Turbomeca Palouste turbocompressor powered small thrusters at the tail and wingtips to provide a

reaction control system A reaction control system (RCS) is a spacecraft system that uses Thrusters (spacecraft), thrusters to provide Spacecraft attitude control, attitude control and translation (physics), translation. Alternatively, reaction wheels can be used for at ...

during hover. The aircraft made its first hover on 16 November 1954. This was performed with the aircraft raised on a platform to avoid the reingestion of its exhaust gases. Wheeled landing gear - from a Cessna - was added to the aircraft, which went on to make horizontal flights in 1955. It proved able to make partial conversions at altitude, however it lacked sufficient engine thrust to complete the transition. The Model 65 programme was ended in 1955 to allow development of the Bell X-14, however the tiltjet experience gained was used to develop the U S Air Force

Bell XF-109 The Bell D-188A (unofficial military designations XF-109/XF3L) was a proposed eight-engine Mach number, Mach 2–capable VTOL, vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) tiltjet fighter that never proceeded past the mock-up stage. Development In 195 ...

V/STOL fighter concept. The Model 65 is currently in storage at the Smithsonian

National Air and Space Museum The National Air and Space Museum (NASM) of the Smithsonian Institution is a museum in Washington, D.C., in the United States, dedicated to history of aviation, human flight and space exploration. Established in 1946 as the National Air Museum, ...

Paul E. Garber Preservation, Restoration, and Storage Facility in

Suitland, Maryland Suitland is a suburb of Washington, D.C., approximately one mile (1.6 km) southeast of Washington, D.C. Suitland is a census designated place (CDP), as of the 2020 census, its population was 25,839. Prior to 2010, it was part of the Suitland ...

References

{{Bell Aircraft 1950s United States experimental aircraft 065 Tiltjet aircraft Twinjets Parasol-wing aircraft Aircraft first flown in 1954 Aircraft with skid landing gear

Design and development

See also

References