Tiltrotor Certification to Be Spurred by FAA

The Federal Aviation Administration plans to accelerate the certification of fixed-wing aircraft capable of taking off and landing vertically so they might be available for civilian use by the mid-1990s, officials said Friday.

FAA Administrator T. Allan McArtor said the agency has entered into a memorandum of understanding with the Defense Department to share development information on the tiltrotor aircraft program so that once the military version is developed, it may be adapted quickly for civilian use. The so-called tiltrotor technology is seen by some aviation industry experts as a key to providing short-haul air transportation.