Bell selects Eaton hydraulics for Future Long Range Assault Aircraft

Eaton will supply the aircraft's hydraulic power generation and hydraulic conveyance components in addition to oil swivels, hydraulic panels and maintenance-free accumulators.

Intelligent power management company Eaton is to provide hydraulic power generation and conveyance solutions for the U.S. Army's Future Long Range Assault Aircraft (FLRAA), in a contract recently awarded by Bell Textron Inc.

Eaton will supply the aircraft's hydraulic power generation and hydraulic conveyance components in addition to oil swivels, hydraulic panels and maintenance-free accumulators. Eaton has been a member of Bell's FLRAA team for the last decade, supporting system design and analysis; component design, qualification and integration; and flight testing.

“We look forward to continuing our relationship with Bell and the FLRAA team to develop the next generation of vertical lift aircraft for the U.S. Army,” says Nanda Kumar, president of Eaton's Aerospace Group. “Our ability to provide proven, mature technologies for the FLRAA program will be key in achieving aircraft performance goals.”

The FLRAA configuration benefited from Eaton's engineering support and technology for the successful Joint Multi-Role Technology Demonstrator program. Eaton continued to support advanced technology development and trade studies, including the use of additive manufacturing, for a selection of the FLRAA hydraulic components.

With twice the speed and range of current rotorcraft weapon systems, FLRAA offers unmatched operational agility to self-deploy and perform a multitude of vertical lift missions unachievable with conventional aircraft.