The Westland WG.22 VTOL airliner in the colours of BEA circa mid-1970s.
In 1966, the Transport Aircraft Requirements Committee (TARC) presented proposals for a VTOL airliner study, which was circulated to industry the following year. The TARC specification called for a VTOL airliner carrying 100 passengers over 450 miles or 600 miles with reduced payload, with submissions required by September 1969. BAC, Hawker Siddeley (Manchester and Hatfield divisions) and Westland made submissions. Westland's design was the WG.22. Westland favoured a tilt-wing design to reduce noise. Studies were made of seven-abreast seating with either one or two aisles (12ft or 14ft 11in fuselage width). The tilting wing had an entire-span leading-edge flap and could hinge around the rear spar up to 100 degrees with a high-incidence stall aerofoil. The nacelles had paired RR RB.411-01 (based on M45H) or Avco Lycoming LTC-4V-4 turboshafts. With 100 passengers range was 450 miles, with 74 passengers 800 miles, cruising speed 460mph. It must be noted there was no airline demand for such a specification and work was strictly private-venture and in the early 1970s all the TARC efforts died.