The Curtiss-Wright X-19 was an ambitious design for a
vertical-take off and landing (VTOL) aircraft developed
in the 1960's from the Curtiss-Wright X-100, a smaller
twin-rotor design with similar tilt-rotor propellors.
The X-19 consisted of a conventional aircraft fuselage
coupled with a pair of similar sized wings positioned
at either end of the body. Attached to the end of each
wing was a 4 metre (13 foot) three bladed propellor mounted
on a swiveling pod which could be rotated through 90 degrees
to provide either upward lift or forward momentum for
higher-speed travel.
Sadly the flight record for the Curtiss-Wright X-19 was
not outstanding. On its first flight the aircraft was
damaged and spent several months undergoing repairs before
resuming tethered flights in the summer of 1964. In 1965
on the first full test flight which was designed to demonstrate
the transition between the two propellor positions the
X-19 was destroyed. Miraculously both pilots survived
thanks to the ejector seats which were fitted to the aircraft.
After this crash the project was canceled.
Only two prototypes of the Curtiss-Wright X-19 were produced.
The surviving example is currently housed in the restoration
facilities at the National Museum of the United States
Air Force in Dayton, Ohio.
Similar and related vehicles:
Terrafugia Transition
Moller M400 Skycar
PALV
Avrocar
Bell X-22
NASA AD-1
Convair XFY-1 POGO
H-4 Spruce Goose
Messerschmitt Me 323 gigant
Leduc Ramjet
Lockheed AH-56 Cheyenne
Gossamer Albatross
Saab 210 'Lill Draken'
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