RECORD PERFORMANCE AT BELL: V-280 VALOR REACHES 280 KNOTS TRUE AIRSPEED

The Bell V-280 Valor successfully achieved its namesake optimal cruise speed of 280 knots on Wednesday, 23 January 2019 at our Flight Research Center in Arlington, TX.

24 January 2019

Building on a full year’s worth of testing and more than 85 hours of flight time, Bell’s V-280 Valor reached its namesake cruising speed of 280 knots true airspeed this week.

Bell and Team Valor continue to methodically and very successfully expand the flight envelope. The aircraft continues to prove its performance is well beyond legacy rotorcraft and will deliver revolutionary capability for warfighters as part of the Future of Vertical Lift (FVL) program.

It is a remarkable achievement to hit this airspeed for the V-280 Valor in just over a year of flight testing. Beyond the exemplary speed and agility of this aircraft, this significant milestone is yet another proof point that the V-280 is mature technology, and the future is now for FVL capability set 3.

Keith Flail, vice president of Advanced Vertical Lift Systems at Bell
Purpose-built to conduct long range assault at twice the speed and range of existing medium lift helicopters, the V-280’s technical maturity demonstrates that close collaboration between government and industry can deliver transformational capabilities in a rapid and sustainable process.

Cruising at twice the speed of legacy helicopters, with double the range, really changes the way the U.S. military can enable multi-domain operations. By eliminating forward refueling points alone, leaders can focus on operational goals while minimizing logistical burdens.

Ryan Ehinger, V-280 program manager at Bell
Additionally, Bell’s digital design and design-as-built methodology for the V-280 focused on creating a sustainable and affordable aircraft. The team took great care to simplify designs and advance technology readiness to inform requirements for FVL CS3. 
As the program moves into 2019, V-280 flight testing will continue to prove out Bell’s key performance parameters and reduce FVL risk in the U.S. Army led Joint Multi-Role Technology Demonstrator (JMR-TD)program. The next stages will expand the performance envelope highlighting further low-speed agility maneuvers, angles of bank and autonomous flight.

These milestones continue to demonstrate that the V-280 Valor is ready and that the Future of Vertical Lift is now.The latest flight statistics include:- Forward flight at 280 knots true airspeed- Over 85 hours of flight and more than 180 rotor turn hours- In-flight transitions between cruise mode and vertical takeoff and landing- 45-degree banked turns at 200 knots indicated airspeed- 4500 feet per minute rate of climb and sustained flight at 11,500 feet altitude- Single flight ferry of over 370 miles- Demonstrated low and high-speed agility with fly-by-wire controlsTo see updates on the V-280 Valor and learn more about the new capabilities, please visit https://www.bellflight.com/military/bell-v-280, and follow us on YouTube, LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

BELL V-280 VALOR WINS POPULAR SCIENCE "BEST OF WHAT’S NEW IN AEROSPACE" AWARD

The award validates the rapid progress being made to bring revolutionary aircraft from Bell to the battlefield today.

27 November 2018

Today, the Bell V-280 Valor was recognized by Popular Science with a Best of What's New Award in the Aerospace category for 2018. This award validates all the fantastic work completed to date by Bell and its partners from Team Valor and the U.S. government.

From the outset, the Bell team had a mission: revolutionize vertical lift for U.S. warfighters. As part of a government technology demonstration partnership, the Bell V-280 Valor has been flying since late 2017 and is making steady progress through flight tests, including multiple flights with Army test pilots.

The V-280 Valor has moved from an innovative idea to a fully functional, high-performance aircraft that combines the best of vertical and fixed-wing flight in fewer than five years. In less than a year of flight-testing, the V-280 has already flown more than 70 hours and reached speeds that far outpace those of similarly sized helicopters, while showcasing extraordinary low-speed agility.

Mission effectiveness is not the only area where technological advances are included in the V-280 Valor. It is also being developed with sustainability and maintainability in mind. Digital design and modern manufacturing processes were incorporated from the start. The team has built in affordability and reliability to increase maintenance-free operating periods and reduce forward logistics burdens.

By providing unmatched speed, range, and agility, the V-280 proves Bell’s ability to deliver transformational capability that will redefine the battlefield for the coming decades.

The V-280 Valor team continues to make exceptional progress on the flight-test program.

TEAM VALOR LANDS AWARD FOR BEST FLIGHT TEST PAPER

Presented during the 49th International Symposium of Flight Test Engineers.

07 November 2018

During the 49th International Symposium of Flight Test Engineers, the Bell V-280 Valor team received the best paper award in the category for “Certification at Warp Speed.” The paper, “V-280 Valor First Flight Build-up:  Preparing for a Technology Demonstration” explains how the V-280 worked through a deliberate program schedule to achieve its first flight nearly a year ago.

This paper exemplified the symposium theme of “Tomorrow’s Flight Test.” The Bell team showed how they, alongside all of Team Valor, applied experimental risk management to prepare for, and execute the build-up testing required to achieve first flight of this revolutionary technology demonstrator in a short period of time.

Video of that historic flight:

The team explained throughout the program the goal was to inform the requirements and reduce risk for a Future Vertical Lift (FVL) program of record. The paper also offered conclusions from their work that could impact future flight testing efforts and the importance of flexibility during flight test execution.

Colin Miller, Gulfstream Vice President of Flight Operations (left) presents the award to Bell's Kevin Christensen and Errick Smith.

Please join us in congratulating the paper authors:

Errick Smith, Experimental Flight Test Engineer

Kevin Christensen, Test & Evaluation Manager

Don Grove, Tiltrotor Chief Pilot

Paul Ryan, Experimental Test Pilot

BELL’S FLIGHT RESEARCH CENTER PROVIDES GLIMPSE INTO FUTURE TECHNOLOGY

The expansion of the Flight Research Center (FRC) means more innovation and new progress for Bell.

On October 25, Bell revealed our expanded Flight Research Center (FRC) in Arlington, TX. This state-of-the-art facility houses many of our newest technology and innovations including the Bell V-280 Valor, 525 Relentless, V-247 Vigilant and the Autonomous Pod Transport (APT).

During the ceremony, attendees were able to see the Bell V-280 in action:

Our new innovation hub provides a unique setting for Bell’s commercial and military customers, partners and stakeholders to interact with technology that is defining the future of flight.

"FOR MORE THAN 65 YEARS, BELL HAS PRODUCED STATE-OF-THE-ART AIRCRAFT AND INNOVATIONS IN NORTH TEXAS’ BACKYARD. WE ARE PROUD TO SHOWCASE OUR INVESTMENT IN THIS FACILITY, VERSATILE AIRCRAFT AND THE TALENTED TEAM WORKING ON THE NEXT GENERATION OF PRODUCTS.

SAID ROBERT HASTINGS, BELL’S EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT, STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS.

THEN:

To go back 65 years earlier, let’s take a look at some of the numerous aviation milestones that our Bell pioneers completed right at this very site.

The FRC was the focal point for early tiltrotor research aircraft – an innovative concept that combined the best features of the helicopter and the airplane. The first production Bell Boeing V-22 Osprey, the first tiltrotor aircraft to have operational military capabilities, was delivered to the U.S. Marine Corps in 1998. This monumental delivery was celebrated at the FRC just 10 years after the V-22 achieved first flight at this same location.

Bell’s history of advanced military aircraft had milestone moments at the FRC. The Bell AH-1T+ SuperCobra, the backbone of the U.S. Marine Corps attack helicopter fleet for decades, made its first flight in 1983. That same year the Bell OH-58-Armed Kiowa Warrior prototype, designated for the U.S. Army, also achieved first flight.

NOW:

The FRC is a state-of-the-art facility that houses many of our newest technology and innovations including the 525, V-247, APT and Hydra.
The facility also includes the Bell 525 RASIL (Relentless Advanced Systems Integration Laboratory.), Bell’s next-generation lab with a high level of automation, enabling superior testing and learning with better control and functionality than ever before.

The V-247 simulator is also in work in the facility and will be installed over the next couple of years.

Bell invested in the newly remodeled 5,000 square feet customer area to showcase our aircraft capabilities.

Thank you to everyone for joining us at this great event and a special thank you to Arlington Mayor Jeff Williams, State Representative Chris Turner and Congresswoman Kay Granger for addressing the crowd during the event.