All you need to know about the world’s first ever tiltrotor aircraft

1. The Bell Boeing V-22 Osprey is the world’s first successful military tiltrotor to take to the air and the largest active production line for tiltrotors

2. In March 1989, the V-22 took off for its first flight in Arlington, Texas

V-22 first flight in March 1989

3. The V-22 main assembly facility is in Amarillo, Texas, or commonly known as Rotor City, USA, due to the V-22’s profound presence in the Texas Panhandle skies

4. The production group behind the V-22, more commonly known as “Team Osprey”, consists of more than 500 US-based suppliers and employs over 27,000 people across 44 states

United States Navy CMV-22 aircraft stopping by the Bell Plant 1 facility

5. Known as a versatile aircraft, the V-22 has deployed to several combat and humanitarian operations, provided earthquake relief, and aided with hurricane response across the globe

6. As a joint service military provider, the U.S. Marines, U.S. Air Force, U.S. Navy, and Japan Ground Self Defense Force currently operate their own variants of the V-22 model – MV, CV, CMV, and Japan MV, respectively

Japan Ground Self Defense Force perform simulated medical evacuation utilizing an MV-22B Osprey during Keen Sword 21 exercise at Marine Corps Air Station Futenma in Okinawa, Japan | Photo by: Lance Cpl. Alex Fairchild

7. In its 34 years of service, more than 475 V-22s have been ordered to complete combat and humanitarian missions worldwide

MV-22B Ospreys at Marine Corps Air Station New River, North Carolina prepare to fly | Photo by: Lance Cpl. Christian Cortez

8. Coupled with a rotating wing and rotors that fold horizontally, the V-22 can be stored aboard an aircraft carrier or assault ship – allowing the tiltrotor aircraft to be transported to complete missions worldwide

MV-22 Osprey aboard amphibious assault carrier USS Tripoli | Photo by: PO3 Christopher Sypert

9. The V-22 is used for a wide-range of missions, including long-range infiltration, exfiltration, medium-range assault, special operations, VIP transport, resupply, disaster relief, search-and-rescue, medical evacuation, and humanitarian missions

U.S. Air Force Joint Task Force 505 helps evacuate earthquake victims from an area near Charikot, Nepal

10. This multi-engine aircraft is equipped with dual Rolls-Royce Liberty AE1107C engines

11. Up to 24 personnel can sit inside the tiltrotor aircraft

12. With aerial refueling capability using high-speed drogues, the V-22 allows continuous flight for several hours or more

13. The V-22 travels nearly twice as fast as most average helicopters

14. The V-22’s speed and wide coverage area allows for rapid response time during the “Golden Hour”, or the first and most critical hour after an incident

15. The V-22 is equipped with complete runway independence technologies, allowing it to take off and land wherever it’s needed the most

16. At present, the V-22 has surpassed more than 700,000 flight hours

17. The V-22 has made more than 40 notable appearances in movies and video games, including the Transformers and Call of Duty series

18. Starting in December 2021, Bell began offering improvement kits for the V-22’s two nacelles to maintain the reliability rate and boost mission readiness

19. CV-22 nacelle improvement program recently surpassed 1,000 flight hours - strengthening endurance for its full range of military operations

20. Equipped with modern fly-by-wire controls, the V-22’s high-tech equipment allows for less pilot workload and more situational awareness

An MV-22 Osprey assigned to the Aviation Combat Element, 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit prepares to land aboard amphibious assault ship USS Kearsarge (LHD 3) during a deck landing qualification | Photo by: Staff Sgt. Brittney Vella

21. The V-22 model was developed from more than 85 years of Bell pioneering innovative vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) configurations like the X-14, X-22, XV-3, XV-15, and eventually the V-22

22. With corrosion resistant coatings and bladefold for shipboard storage, the V-22 is designed to successfully navigate in the world’s harshest environments

The appearance of U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) visual information does not imply or constitute DoD endorsement.