Bell D321 and D324 V/STOL (US Navy "Type A" proposals)

Jemiba

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About the Bell proposal for the Type A VSTOL :
(from Aviation Week November 1977)
 

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Tailspin Turtle said:
And the winner was...

Ooops, yeah, forgot the "outsider" in the competition, Bell Textron's D-324.

Well, it was never built, but the concept of course evolved into the V-22.
 
Derivative of Bell XV-15 ........................to fit hanger of DD-963H air-capable destroyer.....

Well what a missed opportunity :(
I like the concept! Especially being smaller than the MV-22 Osprey!
Would have made a great base start to a VTOL AEW/AWACS aircraft for smaller navies carriers i.e Italian, British and Spanish!!
Anyone got a coloured pic of this artist work?
Would love to find out more on this baby!!!

Regards
Pioneer
 
That was an early design study with folding wings before we committed to the wing stow concept (swiveling the wing on top of the fuselage). I don't remember how big it was compared to the XV-15, but it was scaled up quite a bit.
 
Only other pic I have of the D-324 is this, taken from a leaflet (and enhanced here).

I'm also enclosing Bell's D-323 (Marine Assault) proposal and an early JVX proposal which was derived from both the D-323 and D-324 projects, and which bears obvious similarities with them. To me it's the most handsome of Bell's military tiltrotor designs.
 

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Tailspin Turtle said:
That was an early design study with folding wings before we committed to the wing stow concept (swiveling the wing on top of the fuselage). I don't remember how big it was compared to the XV-15, but it was scaled up quite a bit.

Thank you for what you have got and given my friend!!

Regards
Pioneer
 
Great thanks Stargazer!
Great contribution as usual :-*

Regards
Pioneer
 
Jemiba said:
shown in the NASA picture:
- a derivative of the Bell XV-15

(All from Aviation Week November 1977)

Hey by chance would anyone know of any 3-view drawings of this proposal?

Regards
Pioneer
 
From the Bell VSTOL/STOL Projects thread:

Triton said:
Model of Bell D-321 tilt rotor conceptual design for the V/STOL-A (pre-R.F.Q. activity) 5-30-1978.

Source:
http://www.aiaa.org/tc/vstol/unbuilt/

index.php
 
Re: Various Bell tilt-rotor projects

Here is a Bell D-327;

http://archive.aviationweek.com/image/spread/19811214/34/2
 

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