 This airplane, the XV-15 tilt rotor, represents one of the most versatile research aircraft coming out of aeronautical development today. The plane's unique feature is that it can set its rotors at any position from full upright helicopter mode to nearly 90 degrees forward, much like that of a conventional turbo prop. The quiet performance of the tilt rotor combines the ability to take off and land like a helicopter, with the speed, payload capacity, and range of a fixed wing airplane. Initially conceived in the late 1970s, the tilt rotor represents a combined effort by NASA Ames Research Center, the U.S. Army, and Bell Helicopter Text Drive. The Defense Department is planning to purchase a larger version of this plane, called the JV-X. The XV-15 tilt rotor was unveiled recently to an audience in Washington, D.C., after flying a commuter test stop from Tito Borough, New Jersey. Here you can follow the tilt rotor, as it takes a tour of the nation's cabin. Civil applications range from servicing offshore oil rates to intercity transports. NASA's John Ward explains. Early on, the first opportunity would be a corporate application for a high-speed corporate helicopter rotor craft. It can go beyond that very naturally to commuter applications where you would use the vehicle at a 30 to 40 passenger size to apply to the intercity or regional to hub airport transportation system. The tilt rotor has a perfect application where you can haul very large loads or long-range high-speed without developing large airports. The XV-15, NASA technology working for greater speed, efficiency, safety, and versatility in aeronautics.