Bell V-280 Valor tiltrotor revs to full power

https://newatlas.com/bell-v-280-valo...nd-test/51678/

Bell V-280 Valor tiltrotor revs to full power

David Szondy
October 10th, 2017

The V-280 Valor reached full RPMs during a tethered ground test
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Bell Helicopter's V-280 Valor has reached 100 percent rotor RPMs
during a tethered ground run test at the Bell Helicopter Amarillo
Assembly Center. Construction was recently completed on the tiltrotor
prototype, which is capable of reaching twice the speed and range of
present helicopters, and system and flight control tests are now being
run in the lead up to its first flight later this year.

Artist's concept of the V-280 in disaster response operations

Construction was recently completed on the V-280 prototype
Bell Helicopter's V-280 rolling out
Originally developed as part of the JMR-TD phase of the US Army's
Future Vertical Lift (FVL) program, the V-280 is a next-generation
tiltrotor aircraft designed to be lighter, simpler, and less expensive
than the V-22 Osprey. Weight savings are achieved through the
extensive use of composites in the fuselage, wing and tail, in the
form of honeycomb sandwich configurations with large-cell carbon
cores. This results in a 30 percent savings even with the integrated
cabin armor.

The V-280 design also sees the engines moved away from the rotor
nacelles for a simpler construction that allows both rotors to run on
one engine in the event of an emergency. The Valor can carry a crew of
two with 14 troops, has a cruising speed of 280 knots (320 mph; 520
km/h), combat range of up to 800 nm (920 mi, 1,481 km), and a total
payload capacity of 12,000 lb (5,400 kg). It also has improved hover
capability, topping at 6,000 ft (1,800 m) at 95º F (35 Cº).

Bell Helicopter's V-280 rolling out
The aircraft has triple redundant fly-by-wire flight controls and
enhanced situational awareness and sensing capabilities that digitally
fuse reconnaissance, surveillance, intelligence, and friendly force
information. In addition, it has two wide side doors for fast ingress
and egress and a conventional retractable undercarriage.

The video below shows the V-280 Valor revving up.
https://youtu.be/dafw9bFOr1I
Source: Bell Helicopter


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