Bell V-280 Valor – first year of flight proves the future of vertical lift is now

Bell Helicopter, a Textron Inc. company, and Team Valor marked the anniversary of the V-280 Valor's first flight by continuing to prove the aircraft's performance and technical maturity. As part of the U.S. Army led Joint Multi-Role Technology Demonstrator (JMR-TD) program, the V-280 demonstrates that close collaboration between government and industry can deliver transformational speed, range and agility in vertical lift, in a fast and sustainable process.

"I am proud of the team's remarkable accomplishments during the first year of flight," said President and CEO Mitch Snyder. "By working with the government, we continue to prove the V-280 is the agile aircraft that our military needs now."

In nearly 85 hours of flight and more than 180 rotor turn hours, some V-280 flight testing milestones are:

- Forward flight at 250 knots true airspeed

- In-flight transitions between cruise mode and vertical takeoff and landing

-50-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 flight of over 370 miles

- Demonstrated low and high-speed agility with fly-by-wire controls

The V-280 continues to expand the envelope in flight testing and expects to complete all the key performance parameters in the coming months, including additional low-speed agility tests and full cruise speed in forward flight.

"This anniversary is an important milestone as we provide options for the U.S. Army to meet its vision for a modernized force in the near future and regain overmatch in vertical lift," said Vince Tobin, executive vice president for military business at Bell. "We are prepared to field a suitable, affordable and sustainable aircraft to meet that accelerated timeframe."

With twice the speed and range of existing helicopters, the Bell V-280 Valor is digitally-designed to provide decisive battlefield advantages with superior agility, payload, and reliability that will vastly increase warfighter survivability and lethality.