I actually knew the Bell mechanics who accompanied the XV-15 to DC to decommission it. Drain fluids, remove pyrotechnics, etc. The aircraft structures and drivetrains still had life left. It was the rotor blades that were at the end of their life.
One interesting side story on the decommissioning of the aircraft occurred after all the ceremonies were over. As part of the ceremony to inaugurate the aircraft into the museum, the museum had a group of key pilots and engineers from NASA and Bell sign the nose of the aircraft. The new Bell president nicknamed “Red”, who had only been at Bell a few months, and never worked for NASA or Bell took the liberty to sign his name on the nose of the aircraft in big letters. The man had literally nothing to do with the development of the XV-15, but he felt the need to add his name next to all those deserving people for posterity.
Of course when the aircraft was decommissioned the mechanics “accidentally” spilled solvent over just his signature and needed to wipe it off
Touche. I forgot it was actually the proprotor blades.