The first of six prototype Bell-Boeing YV-22A tilt rotors was photographed at the Bell Flight Test Center at Arlington Municipal Airport, Texas on February 6, 1990. This was the first V-22 to hover almost a year earlier at Arlington on March 19, 1989 and the first to fly in fixed-wing mode on Sept. 14, 1989. It's seen here being pushed back into the text flight hangar after ground testing.

The first of six prototype Bell-Boeing YV-22A tilt rotors seen at the Bell Flight Test Center at Arlington Municipal Airport, TX on February 6, 1990. This was the first V-22 to hover on March 19, 1989 and the first to fly in fixed-wing mode on Sept. 14, 1989. Note the tuffs on the nacelle to track air flow. Behind the aircraft to the left and right are elevated test stands where the V-22 ground ran with the nacelles and rotors in vertical or horizontal flight mode. The fuselage of 163911 was reported at MCAS New River and later the Hickory Aviation Museum in Hickory NC in 2016. Current status?

NASA gave Bell the "go ahead" to develop two VX-15 tilt rotor research aircraft in Sep. 1973. On May 3, 1977, the prototype, N702NA, made its first fight (hover) at the Bell Flight Test Centre at Arlington Municipal Airport (KGKY) after extensive ground tests. Both XV-15s prototypes spent their early years at NASA Ames (KNUQ), but after the 1981 Paris Air Show, N702NA returned to Bell in Texas for further testing. It is seen in Feb. 1990 at at Arlington with the prototype V-22 Osprey. On Aug. 22, 1992, N702NA crashed at Arlington. The cockpit of the wreck was salvaged and became a simulator.

Del 07 July 1979

Del/02/March/1978

The AH-63 was beaten by the AH-64 Apache. The photo reportedly shows the type's first flight, which took place at the Bell flight test facility at Arlington on 1 October 1975. Photo from: Vertical Flight Society

Built in 1937 for Bata Shoe as NC17380 and OK-CTB. To the Royal Canadian Air Force as 7656 in WW2.