Boeing, Bell Plan Civilian Tilt-Rotor Aircraft

Boeing Co. and Bell Helicopter, a division of Providence, R.I.-based Textron Inc., today will announce plans to build a civilian version of the military’s V-22 Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft, an executive said. Jerry King, defense and space president of Seattle-based Boeing, said the Bell Boeing 609 will be available in 2001 at an estimated price of $8 million to $10 million. The two-engine aircraft, which will have the ability to take off and land like a helicopter but fly nearly twice as fast, will carry up to nine passengers and will be targeted at executives in industries such as oil exploration.