Chance Vought XC-142A

The tilt-wing XC-142A was an experimental aircraft designed to investigate the operational suitability of vertical/short takeoff and landing transports.   Such an aircraft would permit rapid movement of troops and supplies into unprepared areas under all-weather conditions.   An XC-142A first flew conventionally on Sept. 29, 1964, and on Jan. 11, 1965, it completed its first transitional flight by taking off vertically, changing to forward flight and finally landing vertically.

Tilting the wing and engines skyward permitted vertical takeoff like a helicopter and then the wing and engines were gradually tilted forward to provide the greater speed of a fixed-wing aircraft in forward flight.   The engines were linked together so that a single engine could turn all four propellers and the tail rotor.   In tests the XC-142A was flown from airspeeds of 35 mph backwards to 400 mph forward.   XC-142As were tested extensively by the Army, Navy, Air Force and NASA.

The only remaining XC-142A was acquired by the museum in 1970. (NMUSAF)

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