2021-01-25 18:35:46 GMT2021-01-26 02:35:46(Beijing Time) Xinhua English
SAN FRANCISCO, Jan. 25 (Xinhua) Sikorsky and Boeing on Monday released details of its advanced helicopter for the U.S. Army s Future Long-Range Assault Aircraft competition, known as FLRAA.
The aircraft, named DEFIANT X, will be the fastest, most maneuverable and most survivable assault helicopter in history, an announcement said.
DEFIANT X flies twice as far and fast as the Black Hawk helicopter it is designed to replace, according to the announcement.
The U.S. Army is expected to release a request for proposal on FLRAA later this year, with a contract award expected in 2022, Boeing said. Enditem
The Defiant X features a rigid coaxial rotor system and pusher propeller.
Sikorsky and Boeing this morning unveiled an aerodynamically slicker version of its SB-1 “Defiant” entry for the U.S. Army’s Future Long-Range Assault Aircraft competition (FLRAA). The “Defiant X” has airframe enhancements to improve aerodynamics and reduce the aircraft’s thermal signature. Like the SB-1, the X features a rigid coaxial rotor system and pusher propeller, enabling high-speed cruising while maintaining low-speed handling qualities that increase survivability in high-threat air defense environments.
The SB-1 began flight testing in 2019 and hit speeds of 230 knots in descent in October 2020. The X is expected to be faster. It is competing against Bell’s V-280 Valor tiltrotor, which has achieved speeds of 300 knots, for the FLRAA award that is expected sometime next year. The winner of the competition that could be worth up to $40 billion will potentially produce thousands of airc
Lockheed-Boeing team pitch Defiant X, its candidate for the Army’s long-range assault helo competition January 25
Lockheed Martin and Boeing unveiled its offering to the U.S. Army s Future Long-Range Assault Aircraft competition Jan. 25, 2021 calling it Defiant X. (Artistic rendering courtesy of Lockheed Martin and Boeing) The modified, competition-ready aircraft design is being called Defiant X, taking the same surname as little brother Raider X, which is Lockheed’s submission for the Army’s other helicopter competition the Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft (FARA) program running nearly in parallel. Both aircraft build off and scale up from Sikorsky’s X2 demonstrator which flew for the first time in 2008.
Bell V-280 Valor Marks Testing Milestone
Image: Bell Textron
Bell Textron celebrated the three-year anniversary of its V-280 Valor tiltrotor’s first flight last week, noting that the aircraft has now flown for 200 hours and completed more than 150 individual test flights. The company also announced the successful demonstrations of the aircraft’s newly installed Tactical Common Datalink (TCDL) and ability to carry external cargo. The V-280 was selected in March 2020 to compete in the U.S. Army’s Future Long-Range Assault Aircraft (FLRAA) program alongside the Sikorsky-Boeing SB-1 Defiant.
“Bell’s test flight program is a testament to how our workforce approaches program execution, and we are proud of the outstanding efforts put into this revolutionary aircraft in support of our nation’s military,” said Keith Flail, Bell executive vice president of advanced vertical lift systems. “We have a great deal of confidence, backed up by data, that the V-280 will be an afford