Bell X-76 X-Plane Advances High-Speed Vertical Flight for DARPA’s SPRINT Program

Bell X-76 X-Plane Advances High-Speed Vertical Flight for DARPA’s SPRINT Program

For nearly a century, Bell has occupied a distinctive position within the evolution of aerospace engineering. The Texas-based company has repeatedly explored the boundaries between helicopter mobility and airplane speed,… The post Bell X-76 X-Plane Advances High-Speed Vertical Flight for DARPA’s SPRINT Program appeared first on stupidDOPE

DARPA's X-76 Experimental Aircraft Construction for the SPRINT VTOL Program

DARPA’s SPRINT X-76 is a new experimental high-speed VTOL aircraft being developed by Bell Textron to combine jet speed with helicopter agility. The X-76 demonstrator is part of DARPA’s SPRINT (Speed and Runway Independent Technologies) program, a joint DARPA/USSOCOM effort to remove runways as a battlefield limitation. Bell Textron won the Phase 2 contract in May 2025 and completed a Critical Design Review. The program has now moved into manufa…