Bell X-22 V/STOL (1966)

Scale: 1/72
Initial Release: 2002
Medium:     Resin
Kit Rarity - 2

About the Design

In yet another attempt to develop a practical VTOL transport, the U.S. Navy developed this four tilt-rotor research craft as part of a joint Navy/Army/Marines (Tri-Service) program in the mid-1960s.  For the Navy, the advantage of this design was that, (1) It was small enough to fit on a typical aircraft carrier elevator platform and (2) The ducts around its four propellers would provide protection for crewmen working on and near the vehicle. 

The first X-22 flew in March 1966.  It was damaged on its 15th flight, its parts salvaged to build another X-22 that completed 228 tests until it was retired in 1984.  The plane now resides on display at the Niagara Aerospace Museum in Niagara Falls, N.Y.

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About the Kit

This resin model in 1:72 scale was Anigrand's second release. 

This model was built from an original issue.