High-Speed Vertical Lift Aircraft Moves to Build Phase

Bell’s high-speed vertical lift demonstrator, the X-76, has passed its Critical Design Review, allowing the aircraft to move into the build phase. The X-76 is being developed under DARPA’s SPRINT program, a joint effort with US Special Operations Command, with the goal of demonstrating an aircraft that can cruise at over 400 knots while still hovering in austere environments. The program aims to address a long-standing tradeoff in aviation between the speed of fixed-wing aircraft and the flexibility of vertical lift platforms. According to AeroTime, Phase 3 flight testing is planned for early 2028.