AIRCRAFT PROGRAM

Multirole combat tiltrotor capable of vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) developed and manufactured jointly by Bell Helicopter and Boeing.

The tiltrotor design combines the vertical take-off functionality of a helicopter and cruise of a turboprop fixed wing aircraft.

43% of the airframe is constructed from composites including Hercules IM-6 graphite/epoxy in wing and Hercules AS4 graphite/epoxy in tail unit; proprotors with 3 blades of graphite/glass fibre; GFRP nacelle closings and pylon supports; composite floor panels; boron carbide/polyethylene laminate crews seats; graphite flaperons with titanium fittings; and leading edge made of aluminium alloy with Nomex honeycomb core. The fuselage is an aluminium frame with composite skins and window frames are aluminium.

One three-blade, contra-rotating and foldable proprotor and a turboshaft Rolls-Royce engine are mounted on a tilting nacelle at the tip of each high wing. The fuselage has an upswept rear fitted with a loading ramp. The two fins of the H-shaped tail are moderately swept back. Prominent fuselage sponsons contain the landing gear.

Two pilots are seated side by side in crashworthy seats with a third seat for crew chief. The glass cockpit has a large windscreen, main side windows and overhead and knee level transparencies with an overhead rear view mirror. The cockpit is digital with triple redundant fly-by-wire controls. The pilots face four full-colour multi function displays and each have a helmet mounted display, compatible with night vision goggles. The central unit houses a shared active matrix liquid crystal display, engine indication and crew alerting system.

The V-22 is the first production tiltrotor aircraft.

Type variants

Variant	Launch/First flight	Production end
Bell Boeing MV-22B Osprey	1983 / 1989		Baseline variant, unconventional mutli-mission VTOL, includes CMV-22B US Navy COD variant.
Bell Boeing CV-22B Osprey	1999 / 2002		Variant for long-range missions with extra wing fuel tanks.

Recent news

• 18/06/2026:  NEWS:  Bell completes first two wing structures for the MV-75
• 16/06/2026:  Press Release:  Mach Industries awarded DIU contract for Runway Independent Maritime Expeditionary Strike capability
• 16/12/2025:  Press Release:  Rolls-Royce begins AE 1107 engine testing to power MV-75 FLRAA for Army prototypes
• 10/11/2025:  Press Release:  HEICO Corporation to acquire storied aviation and defense company
• 19/09/2025:  Press Release:  Radia announces WindRunner for Defense: redefining air mobility with a new class of outsized-volume air cargo

View full news archive for the Bell Boeing V-22 Osprey.

See recent updates (latest 18/06/2026)