| The objective of the X-14 program was to demonstrate horizontal attitude vertical takeoff, hover, transition to forward flight, and vertical landing and was
intended only as a low-speed trials aircraft. It was therefore designed with an open cockpit and fixed tricycle landing gear and used components from a
number of existing aircraft; the wing, ailerons and tricycle landing gear were from a Beech Model 33 Bonanza, and the tail came from a Beech Model 45
Mentor.
It first flew on 17 February 1957 in the hover, and achieved a full transition to wing-borne flight on 24 May 1958. Soon after this, the USAF accepted it as
the X-14 and was used on trials for a number of years before being fitted with a digital fly-by-wire control system. It continued flying as a V/STOL
testbed until 1981 when it was damaged in a crash, repaired, and donated to a museum.
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VARIANTS OF THE SERIES
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X-14 [Short] - Original prototype with twin Viper engines and short undercarriage.
X-14 [Long] - Original prototype refitted with longer undercarriage legs.
X-14B - Original prototype refitted with General Electric J85-GE-5 engines.
X-14C - Proposed version with an enclosed cockpit.
X-14T - Proposed trainer version.
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GENERAL RECOGNITION POINTS
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WEBSITES
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DOCUMENTS
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