V-280 Valor achieves 280kt cruise speed
Bell Helicopter’s V-280 Valor tiltrotor achieved a cruise speed of 280kt on 23 January at the company’s Flight Research Center in Arlington, Texas, following a year of flight testing.
Bell is developing the V-280 Valor for the US Army-led Joint Multi-Role Technology Demonstrator (JMR-TD) programme. As the programme moves into 2019, V-280 flight testing will continue to expand the aircraft's flight envelope, prove performance parameters and reduce Future of Vertical Lift risk in the JMR-TD programme. The next stages will focus on further low-speed agility manoeuvres, angles of bank and autonomous flight.
To date, the V-280 Valor has achieved over 85 hours of flight and more than of 180 rotor turn hours. It has also demonstrated in-flight transitions between cruise mode and vertical take-off and landing; 45-degree banked turns at 200kt indicated airspeed; 4500ft per minute rate of climb and sustained flight at 11,500ft altitude; single flight ferry of over 370 miles; and low and high-speed agility with fly-by-wire controls.
Ryan Ehinger, V-280 program manager at Bell, said: ‘Cruising at twice the speed of legacy helicopters, with double the range, really changes the way the US military can enable multi-domain operations. By eliminating forward refuelling points alone, leaders can focus on operational goals while minimising logistical burdens.’
Related Equipment in Defence Insight
More from Defence Helicopter
-
![Germany to send WS-61 Westland Sea King helicopters to Ukraine]()
Germany to send WS-61 Westland Sea King helicopters to Ukraine
Germany has committed to sending Ukraine six of its 21 retiring WS-61 Westland Sea King multirole, amphibious helicopters.
-
![Boeing secures $271 million to advance modernisation of US Special Operations' MH-47G Chinook]()
Boeing secures $271 million to advance modernisation of US Special Operations' MH-47G Chinook
Boeing has clinched a major contract modification to further its backing of the US Special Operations Command’s MH-47G Chinook aircraft modernisation effort.
-
![Dubai Airshow 2023: South Korean homegrown helicopters make international debut]()
Dubai Airshow 2023: South Korean homegrown helicopters make international debut
Two KAI helicopters, the KUH-1E utility helicopter and the Light Attack Helicopter (LAH), have taken centre stage at the Dubai Airshow 2023.
-
![Italian Navy receives final NH90 helicopter]()
Italian Navy receives final NH90 helicopter
The Italian Navy now boasts a fleet of 56 NH90 helicopters comprising 46 SH-90As and 10 MH-90As.
-
![Argentina seeks AW109 and CH-46 Sea Knight helicopters]()
Argentina seeks AW109 and CH-46 Sea Knight helicopters
The Argentinian Air Force (FAA) and the Argentinian Naval Aviation Command (COAN) are looking for options to upgrade their helicopter fleets.
-
![DSEI 2023: Lockheed to produce about 40% of Black Hawks on UK soil if it wins NMH contest]()
DSEI 2023: Lockheed to produce about 40% of Black Hawks on UK soil if it wins NMH contest
Lockheed Martin promises a boost to the British job market and export opportunities, while strengthening ties with Poland and positioning the UK for a future in rotorcraft technology in the event of a New Medium Helicopter competition triumph.
