<hi style=afpcap>The Hiller Aircraft Corporation has designed and built thousands of small helicopters for civilian customers as well as to the military. The company was well placed to develop a tilt wing vertical take off research aircraft, with the X-18 which was financed in 1957. The aircraft was constructed with a pair of Allison T40 engines. Its tilt wing enabled the X-18 to operate either vertically, as a short take off craft, or with the wing in the conventional position to make a normal runway departure. The aircraft was designed to take advantage of arrivals and departures within confined areas as well as normal airfield operations. </hi>
