By Karen Welch — Senior Content Producer
With a tweet on Wednesday, Bell Helicopter announced its 280 Valor prototype is completed and will get its first flight test this fall.
The V-280 is the latest in Bell’s tiltrotor line and is designed to provide U.S. military with the “speed, range and operational productivity needed to complete any mission successfully and outmatch every opponent,” according to Bell’s website.
The aircraft is Bell’s submission to the U.S. Army’s Joint Multi=Role Technology Demonstrator phase, as future vertical lift helicopters are being evaluated.
Innovations on the aircraft make maintenance easier and improve safety, the Bell site states.
“The newest tiltrotor offers fixed-wing, high-speed performance and low-speed ability,” according to the website.
The Aviationist reports the V-280 will accommodate two pilots and two crew members and have room to transport as many as 14 troops. It will cruise at 280 knots, with top speed being 300 knots.
Karen Welch is a senior content producer for Panhandle PBS. She can be contacted at Karen.Welch@actx.edu, at @KWelch806 on Twitter and at www.facebook.com/karensmithwelch on Facebook.
