Bell Model D2127 / X-22
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Bell Model 222

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Mike, e-mail, 28.09.2022 05:10

The only observation I ever had of the X-22 was while making deliveries near the Buffalo airport in 1978. Even though I grew up in the area, I was unaware of this aircraft.
What makes my sighting of the X-22 was that the day I saw it, it had no external skin on it. To see this flying "chassis" blew my mind!
It's taken till now for me to find out what I was seeing in the sky that day.


al, 29.09.2015 18:19

will never forget the sound of this aircraft. country seemed so great back then, when hard work and American ingenuity paid off. instead of brash and nonsense.


mike phelan, e-mail, 19.08.2015 04:12

flew in it the a mod before the crash Calspan may be electronics guru but King Bird stand way back Carlin and the guys REALLY build em and can fly as well im 70 now about 10 and wide eyed then flew for 40 yrs out of IAG now rated in 609 s greatlife phelan


BILL HAMILTON, e-mail, 09.02.2015 19:57

I lived in Williamsville, New York, for many years....and will "NEVER" forget the sight & sound of the X-22, flying over my house, and the surrounding area !! I remember heading over to the Calspan facility on a school field trip....to see this "unique'' aircraft up close, and also to watch it during actual flight operations. The sound was almost deafening, but to watch it perform in the air was truly...."AMAZING !!" Larry Bell, was a true aviation pioneer, and the X-22....was years ahead of it's time, and paved the way, for today's V-22 OSPREY tilt rotor aircraft !! I am glad to hear...that the Niagara Aviation Historical Society, acquired this truly unique aircraft, and put it on permanent display in their museum in Niagara Falls. I hope to one day....travel back there to see the X-22...once again. B.H. Tucson, Arizona.


Mike, e-mail, 16.01.2014 21:37

There is video of the #1520 crash out there somewhere. My Mother, Brother where in a light blue mustang on Hoover Road and the Aircraft flew overhead and crashed in field beside our house. I was only 5 at the time and was in school. Within minutes the air force blocked off the area and the next day put up a Tent over the crash. Parts where found in the field for years after. My father saw a video on TV recently from escort aircraft. Hope to get a copy of it someday.


ulf kjaer, e-mail, 07.11.2013 19:58

This plane was the much-contested winner of the 1961-62 X-22 project. The Navy wanted the Douglas proposal, but Deputy Secretary of Defense, Roswell L. Gilpatric gave the contract to Bell. But - do anybody out there have any plan-
drawings or pictures of the losing Douglas proposal?


AL, 11.09.2012 21:00

Brian. Yep that was it. Unmistakeable drone of the fans.


Chris, e-mail, 25.09.2011 03:09

I also lived in Williamsville in the 60s, got my private license in 1969 through a program for ROTC students at UB going to pilot training after graduation. The flying was done out at Niagara Falls International Airport. I remember seeing the X-22 fly on more than one occasion - very "up close and personal" since I was watching from right there while either flying around the traffic pattern or taxiing on the ground. I also remember one or more times seeing a man wearing (and flying with) the Bell rocket belt out there. Between the two, it seemed almost science fiction in real life. Flying jets a year later was wonderful, but remembering back to watching those two "projects" flying in '69, while I was just flying little Cessna 150s, brings back great memories!


Bud Gough, e-mail, 19.10.2010 20:26

I worked on a test project @ Princeton Univ., Dept of Aerospace & Mechanical Sciences - Longtrack project to be exact. '65, 66'?? We built exact scale model replicas with strain gauges & power systems as close as possible to the real thing. We then ran test runs & telemetered the results back to a ground station where the data was recorded & later compiled & passed onto the contracting entity. XC142 & x22 among others as well as other project testing involving v/stol aircraft. Dr. Pat Curtis, Phd was in charge of the project for P.U. It was a great job, getting paid to fly model airplanes!!


Mark, e-mail, 09.07.2010 19:45

Ralph remembers it as I do - Grew up in Williamsville, NY within sight of the approach path to the Buffalo Airport. Remeber seeing it flying pretty regularly as a kid in the 70's, it was always accompanied by a chopper. Saw it again up close on a tour of Calspan with the Boy Scouts some time in the 80's. Great part of WNY aviation history.


Ralph, e-mail, 18.04.2010 23:34

Brian and Jane, I was born (1947) and raised in Williamsville, NY. I used to see this plane, both in the air and on the ground at its resting place on the airport property near the corner of Wehrle and Cayuga. It certainly was unusual.


Tony Snow, e-mail, 08.04.2010 22:23

Let me giess, the Army passed on this one too, is there a trend to Army leadership, pass on our future success and wing it with played out technologies thats at their limit i.e. AH-64 and etc. The Doak 16 if further developed would have been a terrific platform for recon, light attack, and fire support, but yet they passed it up too and don't let me get started on the Bell BAT the Army's biggest bungle since it traded fixed wing for total rotary wing craft, the BAT was the future of Army aviation had it been more developed too, hooray for our Army pilots without the best equpiment that money can buy.


Drew, e-mail, 31.03.2010 15:00

I am building a replica of this in the game second life. Does anyone know which side the pilot sat in? Was it port side like regular planes, or starboard side like helos? I saw this beast at the museum in Niagara Falls... it is a shame it never made production, I would so buy one!


rudager, e-mail, 28.12.2009 17:39

It almost worked

until they tried to put a propeller at each of FOUR wingtips to hover a big-ass plane


Jane, e-mail, 12.12.2008 09:38

I grew up in Bowmansville, NY, close to the Buffalo Airport. I was recently telling friends about seeing an airplane with four wheels on the sides that had propellers in them,(this is how I remembered it) fly over our house on more than one occasion; probably in the late 60's-70's. They thought I was nuts, but my husband did some research on line and found this! I am pretty positive it was the X-22!


Brian, e-mail, 19.04.2008 17:11

I lived in Amherst NY from the early 70's to late 70's
we used to see something like this on occasion it was pretty high but I remember it being "H" shaped and slow moving and having a prop boat sound to it.Could this be the craft ?


owen, 28.08.2007 14:39

amazing!!!!!!.....




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