Bell Completes Critical Design Review on DARPA SPRINT X-Plane Program, Receives Official X-Plane Designation
Following the completion of CDR, Bell will now begin building a brand-new X-plane with first-of-its-kind stop/fold technology
Fort Worth, Texas (March 9, 2026) - Bell Textron Inc., a Textron Inc. (NYSE: TXT) company, successfully held the Critical Design Review (CDR) for the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA)’s SPeed and Runway INdependent Technologies (SPRINT) program. This milestone allows Bell to begin building the next-generation aircraft demonstrator, recently designated as the X-76.
“Bell is honored to receive the X-76 designation and continue the spirit of American innovation honoring the founding of the United States in 1776,” said Jason Hurst, Bell SVP, Engineering. “This is an important milestone as the Bell and DARPA team advances to a historic first in aviation history and fulfill our mission of developing next-generation vertical-lift aircraft.”
In July 2025, Bell announced the company was down-selected for Phase 2 of the program in the latest chapter of its 90-year history of X-plane development. The goal of the SPRINT program, jointly funded by DARPA and U.S. Special Operations Command, is to advance next generation runway independent technologies that can be scaled to different military aircraft through designing an aircraft with the ability to cruise at speeds from 400 to 450 knots at relevant altitudes and hover in austere environments from unprepared surfaces. In Phase 1A and1B, Bell completed conceptual and preliminary design efforts for the SPRINT X-plane. Phase 2 includes detailed design, build, and ground testing culminating in flight test during Phase 3.
Since its inception, Bell has pushed the known boundaries of flight through pioneering high speed and vertical lift aircraft from the X-1 to the XV-3 and XV-15. The SPRINT program brings together all of this into one vehicle to provide runway independence with jet speeds.
“The Bell team looks forward to seeing X-76 take flight and bring this capability to our warfighters,” added Hurst.
To find out more about Bell’s HSVTOL efforts, please visit the Bell page.
ABOUT BELL
Thinking above and beyond is what we do. For more than 90 years, we’ve been reimagining the experience of flight – and where it can take us.
We're an aerospace and defense company that engineers and manufactures aircraft for critical solutions in extreme scenarios. We're breaking barriers in lifting people to safety across transportation, medical, rescue and military services, and leading the industry in future solutions that are fast, reliable and efficient.
Headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas – as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Textron Inc., – we have strategic locations around the globe. And with nearly one quarter of our workforce having served, helping our military achieve their missions is a passion of ours. Above all, our breakthrough innovations deliver exceptional experiences to our customers. Efficiently. Reliably. And always, with safety at the forefront.
ABOUT TEXTRON INC.
Textron Inc. is a multi-industry company that leverages its global network of aircraft, defense, industrial and finance businesses to provide customers with innovative solutions and services. Textron is known around the world for its powerful brands such as Bell, Cessna, Beechcraft, Pipistrel, Jacobsen, Kautex, Lycoming, E-Z-GO, and Textron Systems. For more information, visit: www.textron.com.
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