GKN Aerospace to manufacture Bell Helicopter's V-280 Valor “V-Tail”

Bell Helicopter, a Textron Inc. company, announced today that GKN Aerospace will design, develop and manufacture the V-tail aerostructure and ruddervators for the Bell V-280 Valor™.

“We are pleased to announce GKN Aerospace, a world leader in composite aerostructures, is aligning their interests and resources to join Team Valor and will provide the Bell V-280's signature V-tail,” said John Garrison, president and CEO of Bell Helicopter. “GKN Aerospace joins our growing team of aerospace leaders to ensure the highest levels of maturity and technical readiness are delivered to the U.S. Army for their future vertical lift missions.”

Kevin Cummings, CEO, GKN Aerospace North America explains, “We are proud to play such an important role in the development of the V-280 Valor airframe that represents the next generation in vertical lift technology. We look forward to working alongside Bell Helicopter, bringing our expertise across metal and composite design and manufacture to bear to maximize the long-term operational effectiveness and reliability of this aircraft in service for the US Army.”

Team Valor is comprised of leading aerospace companies, bringing the best engineering resources, industrial capabilities, and critical thinking in the industry to meet the Army's needs. Additional team members will be announced in the coming weeks.

The transformational features of Bell Helicopter's third generation tiltrotor represent the most operationally effective aircraft for the U.S. Army's Future Vertical Lift requirements. With increased maintainability and component and systems reliability, the Bell V-280 is designed to deliver the best value in procurement, operations and support, and force structure. With more than twice the speed and range, the Bell V-280 Valor will offer commanders a combat maneuver platform with unmatched operational agility to self-deploy and perform a multitude of vertical lift missions unachievable with current aircraft.