Defiant hits 205 kts

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Rumour was circulating, now confirmed.




Vertical

In its most recent test flight last week, the Sikorsky-Boeing SB>1 Defiant coaxial helicopter flew faster than 200 knots and with another 50 percent power in reserve is set to “well exceed” the target speed of 230 knots in coming months.
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“Two hundred and five knots is just a number, but it’s a number that you’re not typically accustomed to hearing with respect to a helicopter,” Bill Fell, Sikorsky’s chief test pilot, told reporters during a video conference call June 16. “Expect a lot more in the future because we have a lot more prop power to apply in this machine. "

a reply to: RadioRobert

a reply to: Bigburgh

Not bad as whirlybirds go

a reply to: RadioRobert

That's hauling a$$ for rotary!


Edit: wish I knew what they plan for it. The V-22 Osprey ( 351 mph ) easily exceeds this.

Add a full fuel load and a bunch of fully armed SOE guys and see..

originally posted by: Bigburgh
a reply to: RadioRobert

That's hauling a$$ for rotary!


Edit: wish I knew what they plan for it. The V-22 Osprey ( 351 mph ) easily exceeds this.

FLRAA will be the replacement of the Blackhawk. Though that's going to be a long time to fruition. Probably more a supplement for some time. Like the Huey stuck around in service for so long, because it was cheap and available, with established supply lines.

Osprey is too big (and expensive) for what Army Aviation wants. They need to be able to buy and operate them in large numbers.

It'll be worth watching to see what direction they take. The Valor is going to be faster with longer legs. Defiant should be better at doing what you want a helicopter to do when at the business end.

FARA (Raider vs Invictus) should replace the Kiowa mission (well, technically the Apaches tasked to that right now). Defiant or Valor will slowly take over for the Blackhawk. Eventually, there will probably be an attack aircraft built around the power plant of FLRAA (a la UH-1/AH-1).

www.defensenews.com...

You can see the Boeing influence: it looks uglier.