McDonnell Model XV-1 Convertiplane in the Ames 40x80 Foot Wind Tunnel.

Foreword, front view of McDonnell Model XV-1 Convertiplane in the Ames 40x80 Foot Wind Tunnel.

The McDonnell XV-1 was an experimental compound gyroplane developed for a joint research program between the United States Air Force and the United States Army to explore technologies to develop an aircraft that could take off and land like a helicopter but fly at faster airspeeds, similar to a conventional airplane. The XV-1 would reach a speed of 200 mph (322 km/h), faster than any previous rotorcraft, but the program was terminated due to the tip-jet noise and complexity of the technology which gave only a modest gain in performance.