The Hiller X-18 was an experimental cargo transport aircraft designed to be the first testbed for tiltwing and V/STOL (vertical/short takeoff and landing) technology.
7-656: Design work started in 1955 by Stanley Hiller Jr and Hiller Aircraft Corporation received a manufacturing contract and funding from the United States Air Force to build the only X-18 built, serialized 57-3078 . To speed up construction and conserve money, the plane was constructed from scavenged parts including a Chase YC-122C Avitruc fuselage, 49-2883 , and turboprops from the Lockheed XFV-1 and Convair XFY-1 Pogo experimental fighter programs. The tri-bladed contra-rotating propellers were
14-645: A giant 16 ft (4.8 m) across. The Westinghouse turbojet engine had its exhaust diverted upwards and downwards at the tail to give the plane pitch control at low speeds. Hiller nicknamed their X-18 the Propelloplane for public relations purposes. Preliminary testing occurred at Moffett Field Naval Air Station , CA. The first flight (hop) was on 11/20/1959 followed by the first real flight on 11/24/1959 with Hiller test pilots George Bright and Bruce Jones. Further test flights were held at Edwards AFB , ultimately recording 20 flights. A number of problems plagued
21-456: A hover at 10,000 ft (3,000 m) and went into a spin. The crew regained control and landed, but the X-18 never flew again. However ground testing of the tiltwing concepts continued. Eventually a VTOL Test Stand was built on which the X-18's vertical takeoff and landing and hover control was to be tested. One engine run was successfully conducted to the full 15-foot (4.6 m) wheel height on
28-500: The 1955 Hawaii R6D-1 crash , involving a United States Air Force Douglas DC-6 , took place in mountainous terrain of Oahu , Hawaii , U.S., killing all 66 people on board. The second took place on 11 August, when two USAF Fairchild C-119 Flying Boxcars collided during a training formation near Altensteig , West Germany , killing all 66 people aboard both aircraft. The third, and the deadliest civilian aircraft case of 1955, took place on 6 October, when United Air Lines Flight 409 ,
35-557: The VTOL Test Stand. The program was canceled on January 18, 1964, before further VTOL Test Stand testing could be conducted, and the X-18 was cut up for scrap. The program proved several things that contributed to further tilt-wing VSTOL technology programs: This knowledge was employed in the successful development and flight tests of the Tri-Service XC-142A tilt-wing VSTOL transport. Data from Jane's All
42-507: The World's Aircraft 1961-62, The X-planes : X-1 to X-29 General characteristics Performance Related development Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era Related lists 1955 in aviation This is a list of aviation -related events from 1955. Three crashes may claim the joint title of 1955's deadliest plane crash; two of these cases involved military aircraft. The first took place on 22 March, when
49-491: The X-18 including being susceptible to wind gusts when the wing rotated, acting like a sail. In addition the turboprop engines were not cross-linked, so the failure of one engine meant the airplane would crash. Thrust control was through throttle changes, which were too slow for acceptable height and roll control. On the 20th and final flight in July 1961 , the X-18 had a propeller pitch control problem when attempting to convert to
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