"Peavey_HP_Signature_Guy" wrote in message
...
Isn't that the notorious "near"-jet? snicker...

In all seriousness, here at the Bell Test Facility in Texas, Bell used one
of these to chase the tilt-rotor. On one long trip the tilt-rotor had to
slow down and wait for the Cessna to catch up!


Sounds like a mighty interesting place to work.

I had a quick look at Wikipedia and they say the Cessna 550 Citation II
cruise speed is 403 knot, so would the inability to keep up with the
Tilt-Rotor have been more to do with the altitude they were operating at?

I had a look at the MV22B, BA609, XV15 and they seem to have a slower cruise
speed but probably a lot of things change within operating parameters and
with the development of the aircraft - i'm not very well up on these things.

Slow or not, I think it is quite a smart looking craft though 'near jet'
is one name I will remember it by now.

--
Andrew

"Heavier-than-air flying machines are impossible."
(Lord Kelvin, president, Royal Society, 1895.)