Mon, Mar 23, 2020
Design Phase Will Reduce Risk For Army’s Future Long Range Assault Aircraft Program
The U.S. Army announced that the Sikorsky-Boeing team has been selected to move forward in the Future Long-Range Assault Aircraft’s Competitive Demonstration and Risk Reduction Program (CD&RR) program.
Sikorsky is partnered with Boeing on the SB>1 DEFIANT program in order to meet the demands of the Army’s future vertical lift mission. DEFIANT is highly maneuverable and will extend the warfighter’s capabilities on the modern battlefield – and fits in the same footprint as a Black Hawk.
DEFIANT builds on Sikorsky’s foundational X2 Technology which integrates coaxial rotors, fly-by-wire flight controls and a propulsion system to redefine the attributes and abilities of a typical helicopter.
Sikorsky and Boeing have purposely carried out a rigorous flight test plan with DEFIANT. The flight test program includes thousands of hours in integrated test labs, component development and the propulsion system test bed.
This approach has allowed the team to strategically expand the envelope in flight testing and prove out each element of the technology. Each hour of testing, even on the ground, helps to inform the next.
DEFIANT recently flew in a demonstration for Senator Tammy Duckworth and Secretary of the Army Ryan McCarthy. During that flight DEFIANT hit 140 knots and 45-degree angle-of-bank turns. The aircraft will continue to expand the envelope in flight test throughout the rest of the year.
The SB>1 DEFIANT team is prepared to provide an affordable and sustainable solution to give the Army mission advantage on the highly contested battlefield of the future.
(Image provided with Lockheed Martin news release)
More News
Instrument Runway A runway equipped with electronic and visual navigation aids for which a precision or nonprecision approach procedure having straight-in landing minimums has been>[...]
Aero Linx: Alaska Airmen's Association The Alaska Airmen's Association includes over 2,000 members—we are one of the largest General Aviation communities in the country. We s>[...]
Also: Flt School Security, G600 Steep-Approach, Honduran Aid, PW545D Cert Two aircraft performing at the Fort Lauderdale Air Show clipped wings during a routine last Sunday, spooki>[...]
Also: SkyReach Parts Support, Piper Service Ctr, Airliner Near-Miss, Airshow London The Judge overseeing Icon's convoluted Chapter 11 process has approved $9 million in Chapter 11 >[...]
Also: Paramotor Champ's, Electric Ultralight, ICON BK Update, Burt Rutan at Oshkosh! The Popular Rotorcraft Association is reaching out for help in rebuilding their private runway >[...]