AviTech Reader

Normally, the first take-off and landing of an aircraft is very important because it displays the upshot of the manpower that has been working on it for the time of idea inception to manufacture. In that respect, we go back to 1964 in USA, a day on which the first take-off and landing of the LTV (Ling-Temco-Vought) XC-142A (vertical take-off transport) was made in Dallas, Texas. The aircraft has four 2,850-hp General Electric turboprops mounted on the wings and can pivot 90⁰ for purposes of vertical take-off. The tilt-wing XC-142A was an experimental aircraft designed to investigate the operational suitability of vertical/short takeoff and landing (V/STOL) transports. Such planes are very instrumental in rapid movement of troops and supplies into unprepared areas under all-weather conditions. On Jan. 11, 1965, an XC-142A completed its first transitional flight by taking off vertically, changing to forward flight, and finally landing vertically  (AYY). A lot has been told about this plane, its specifications, capabilities and the ideas behind it here.

Some of the fantastic things, and I will admit that it is so amazing to see it tilt its wings even to about 180 degrees…the mechanism it uses is simple and its so cool.