Bell mates V-280 wing to fuselage
Bell Helicopter has successfully mated the wing and nacelles to the aircraft fuselage of the V-280 Valor tilt-rotor Joint Multi Role Technology Demonstrator (JMR-TD), the company announced on 4 May.
The V-280 will now be prepared for verification work leading to a tethered power-up test scheduled for the first half of 2017. Development is ongoing at the company's flight control systems lab, with the T64-GE-419 engines and gearboxes set to be installed in the nacelles of the JMR-TD in November 2016.
The aircraft is expected to achieve its first flight in September 2017.
Lisa Atherton, executive vice president of military business development, Bell Helicopter, said: 'The V-280 wing, nacelles and fuselage are now assembled into the aircraft we’ve designed as the next generation tilt-rotor.
'This is a major milestone. The attention to detail from our employees, our suppliers and from all of Team Valor, today and throughout this entire process, has been astounding. Their efforts have resulted in an aircraft that is coming together quickly and according to schedule. We are excited and counting down to the first flight in 2017.'
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