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

[Jemiba]

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

 

[Tailspin Turtle]

And the winner was...

 

[Stargazer]

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.

 

[Pioneer]

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

 

[Tailspin Turtle]

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.

 

[Stargazer]

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.

 

[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.

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

Regards
Pioneer

 

[Pioneer]

Great thanks Stargazer!
Great contribution as usual :-*

Regards
Pioneer

 

[Pioneer]

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

 

[Stargazer]

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

No three-view drawing so far.

 

[Orionblamblam]

No three-view drawing so far, but here's what I have. It was the D-324.

There's always the virtually-identical D-323, complete with three-view...
http://up-ship.com/blog/?p=4559

 

[Grey Havoc]

From the Bell VSTOL/STOL Projects thread:

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/

 

[hesham]

Re: Various Bell tilt-rotor projects

Here is a Bell D-327;

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