<article><hdr>Landing shot of a Bell X-14</hdr><body>
<hi style=afpcap>The Bell Aircraft Corporation could never be accused of not pushing the development of aviation technology to the limit during the forties and fifties, as some of their special research aircraft were extremely radical. Amongst these was the X-14 which was an experimental jet powered vertical take off airplane. During tests the X-14 successfully completed a full transitional cycle in flight, rising vertically from the ground before accelerating into forward flight. At the completion of the test the aircraft was positioned into the hover over the ground before landing vertically while in the conventional horizontal position. Despite the success of the X-14, it was to be many years before Vertical Take Off and Landing (VTOL) became operational with the Hawker/British Aerospace Harrier. </hi>
