At the end of the 50s I worked at Caldwell, NJ, as a Sr. Aerodynamics Engineer in charge of control and stability in low speed transition from vertical to horizontal flight of the X-200. For solution of the differential equations for blade angle control (needed to compensate the couplings produced by the pitching, rolling and yawing forces and moments of the four rotors at the wings tips) we used at first the Bendix computer at Curtiss-Wright and soon after the facilities of the IBM Service Bureau Corp. in Manhattan (I myself, living then in Manhattan, was the carrier for the computer tapes from and to Cadwell). The Head of the Aerodynamics section was (the well-known and remembered) Hank Borst.
Jason, e-mail, 02.02.2022 13:12
I am trying to find more information on the ac I believe this was the ac my grand father worked on during the development stages. Would love to see more info about it
BornNaked, e-mail, 08.12.2013 10:14
What is the most important part of this plane was the unique propeller design, for they achieved Lift at half the speed and almost thirds less diameter of other VTOl propellers.
This design is what deserves the most attention because of Low RPM to Hi Thrust Ratio and if Anybody has any Specs, it would be great if you could post them Online.
Hollis Kimball, e-mail, 29.07.2013 05:41
I was at NAFEC Atlantic City as part of the engineering flight test team and watched as the #1 aircraft came apart in flight during an aborted landed attempt due to a severe lateral control problem. All 4 props and nacelles departed the airframe as it snap rolled. At an altitude of 198 feet, both pilots ejected while inverted and landed safely in a swamp with only minor injuries.
Robert Beach, e-mail, 09.04.2013 22:48
The second X-19 was not scrapped but rather resides in the National Museum of the Air Force awaiting restoration (if that ever occurs.) Restoration is complicated by the fact that it was never fully completed.
Edward J. Lifante, e-mail, 15.02.2012 07:38
I would like to buy Dean's book , The Curtiss X-planes either new or used. Any takers?
Ray Haselman, e-mail, 03.01.2012 22:24
I was at the first flight of the X-19. My father worked at Caldwell for the DOD.
Bart Santello, e-mail, 13.03.2011 07:50
Hello. I have a JPEG image of an artist's rendering of the X-19 in flight. The source is from the former Avco Lycoming photo laboratory. The photo was found in an archive box at Honeywell Defense & Space in Phoenix, Arizona (current owners of Lycoming's gas turbine product line). If you would like me to send a digital copy of the photograph for this website, I would be happy to contribute to aviation history.
Edward J. Linfante, e-mail, 10.11.2010 08:07
Is the X-19 book by Dean still available and at what cost?
Evelyn Dean, e-mail, 13.12.2009 22:53
My husband was Francis "Diz" Dean, author of "The Curtiss X-Planes giving a complete history of what happened to the X-19. He was head engineer of the Preliminary Design Group. Publisher of the book is Schiffer Military History, Atglen, P.
Edward J. Linfante, e-mail, 14.09.2009 00:27
I worked on preliminary design of the X-19. Initially to determine gearbox loads. The propeller gearbox housings were made of 1/4 inch magnesium. As weight of the X-19 increased due requirements applied by the AF I became increasingly concerned about overloading these gearboxes and particularly those aft which in fact ONE WAS THE FIRST TO FAIL DURING THE TEST TRANSITION FLIGHT. Moreover, in hover the TOED-IN (7-1/2 deg aft tilt beyond vertical of the fwd props vs the 7-1/2 fwd tilt of the aft props)required for hover differential thrust yaw control magnified the difference in aft vs fwd proplellor gearbox loads and associated transition pitchup a fact I discussed with my superiors who recognized that problem too late to incorporate in the X-19 BUT was incorporeated in follow-on designs.THE ANGULAR DIFFERENTIAL EMPLOYED SHOULD'VE BEEN EXACTLY OPPOSITE (TOED-OUT)- OR THE DOWNWARD TILT OF THE AFT PROPS DELAYED UNTIL THE FWD PROPS HAD ROTATED DOWNWARD 20 DEG OR SO, OR BY AN AMOUNT THAT BALANCED THE LOADS AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE BETWEEN THE FWD AND AFT PROPELLER GEARBOXES. Something better than easily-cracked foam was also required as a lightweight filler for those large wide propellers. A likely alternative was pressurized air. Both cheap and feasible as used in tires. I'm an Aero.Engineer(NYU 1956) and former WWII and NJANG military pilot who knew and flew with Bernie Hughes who co-piloted the X-19. I have not read F.H. Dean's book covering design and test of the X-19 but hope to do so soon.
harsha, e-mail, 31.05.2009 17:09
i want basic construction of an helicopter,means it's like a toy .and it is remote control
Danilo, 22.11.2008 01:29
Prestazioni di tutto rispetto per un velivolo leggero.
sergio, e-mail, 17.04.2007 04:53
este es uno de los prototipos que se desplomo a tierra en una prueba de vuelo. y ademas ese prototipo lo vi en un video cuando se desplomo a tierra y ademas sus 4 motores se rompieron en vuelo.
