In 1984, the Bell XV-15 flight test team discovered the aircraft stored outside the Army's Aviation Museum during the XV-15 visit to Fort Rucker, Alabama, as part of a demonstration tour. 54-148 was repaired by December 1986, with Army support and the leadership of former Bell XV-3 engineer Claude Leibensberger, but the aircraft was disassembled and placed into indoor storage. On 22 January 2004, the XV-3 was delivered to Bell Plant 6 in Arlington, Texas.
During a visit to Fort Rucker, Alabama, in 1984, the Bell XV-15 flight test team discovered an aircraft left unattended outside the Army's Aviation Museum. By December 1986, 54-148 had been repaired with Army assistance and led by Claude Leibensberger, former engineer of the Bell XV-3. The aircraft was then disassembled and stored indoors. On January 22, 2004, the XV-3 was transported to Bell Plant 6 in Arlington, Texas.