Bell V-280 Valor Convertor
At the very end of August 2017, the first photos of the prototype of the new American aircraft Bell V-280 Valor appeared on the network. This model is called the third generation convertiplane. Experts believe that the photographs presented by an anonymous source captured the flight (most likely) prototype of the Bell V-280 Valor convertiplane created under the Joint Multi-Role Technology Demonstrator (JMR-TD) program of the US Army.
The Bell V-280 Valor convertible is developed by Bell Helicopter. It was first officially presented to the public in 2013, during an exhibition in Fort Worth, Texas. The first flight of the convertoplan is scheduled for 2017 year. The program of the US Army JMR-TD is aimed at developing aircraft with vertical take-off, which in the future will be able to replace the Boeing AH-64 Apache and Sikorsky UH-60 Blackhawk helicopters, which are in service with the American army. At the same time, the development of Bell Helicopter engineers claims to be the third generation convertible plane. The new tiltrotor is being developed taking into account the accumulated experience of designing and operating the first generation machines, which include the convertible planes XV-3 and XV-15, and the subsequent converter plans BA609 and V-22 Osprey, already belonging to the second generation of aircraft data.
To date, the US Army is the only operator in the world of convertible maps. In service with the Marine Corps and the United States Air Force today is the only commercially available convertiplane Bell V-22 Osprey. This aircraft was created during the 30 years by engineers from Bell and Boeing, the launch of operation - 8 December 2005. According to data on 2016, a little more than 300 convertiplanes of this type were released in the United States, the overwhelming part of them is in service with the United States Marine Corps, and the 46 convertible plans Bell V-22 Osprey are listed as the US Air Force Special Operations Command.
Japan became the only foreign customer of this convertiplane, which placed an order for the supply of MV-22B Block C in 2015. The first 5 aircraft under a contract of 2015 should be transferred to the Self-Defense Forces of Japan after June 2018. They are planned to be used for the defense of remote islands. First of all, those claimed by China. In addition to the convertiplanes themselves, Japan also acquired related equipment, including a modern on-board electronic defense complex, so the Japanese armed forces will receive convertiplanes in a “unique configuration”. It is reported that the first built for the army aviation Japan’s land self-defense forces, the MV-22B troop-borne tiltrotor launched ground tests in August 2017. His photographs were taken on the premises of the Bell's assembly center in Amarillo, in the same place where they later removed the novelty of the American aviation industry - Bell V-280 Valor.
Convertible planes are special aircraft that combine the capabilities of a helicopter and an airplane. They are machines with turning propellers (most often screw), which during take-off and landing work as lifting, and in flight they start to work - as pulling. At the same time, the lifting force required for horizontal flight is provided by an aircraft-type wing. Most often, the tiltrotor engines turn together with the screws, but on some of them only the screws turn. Such a scheme with turning screws was used on the third-generation tweeter V-280 Valor. The authorship of the new convertiplane is owned by Bell, which apparently undertook a deep revision of its previous project, the convertiplane V-22 Osprey. The main advantages of these aircraft are their higher speed and range compared to conventional helicopters, which is comparable to aircraft. At the same time, they retain the ability to take off and land from extremely limited in area, including unprepared sites, and also able to hover for a while in the air.
As the representatives of the company Bell, the convertiplane of the new generation V-280 Valor was created with all the latest requirements of the modern war. He had a significantly increased speed and range. According to some reports, the maximum flight speed of the tiltrotor will be approximately 560 km / h (cruising speed from the manufacturer’s website is 520 km / h). Above all, Bell engineers have made it possible for the model to be actively used in conditions of extreme ambient temperatures. In the end, they were able to further advance on the path of creating a hybrid that combines the speed of the aircraft and the ability to hover in the sky in one place, typical of all modern helicopters.
Unlike its predecessor V-22 Osprey, whose screws could tilt in flight with the engines, the V-280 Valor tiltrotor's engines are firmly fixed in a horizontal position, as a result of which the transition between helicopter and aircraft flight modes is carried out by tilting propellers alone . In this case, the designers used on the model V-280 wing straight sweep (as opposed to back on the V-22 Osprey). Moreover, the wing will be manufactured as a one-piece part (composite panel) using modern technology Large Cell Carbon Core. This solution will reduce the weight of the structure, as well as reduce production costs. In addition, the technology used also allows you to quickly identify defects that may arise during the operation of the aircraft. In the end, the basic model of the new convertiplane V-280 will not have a complicated folding wing mechanism, which was implemented on the marine version of the convertiplane V-22. At the same time, Bell representatives note that the landing zone of the new product will be comparable in size to the landing zone of UH-60 / UH-1Y helicopters.
The fuselage of the new convertiplane will be made of composite materials. In this regard, the new model continues the ideas embodied in the Bell V-22 Osprey, in which, in order to reduce the mass of the structure, the developers widely used various composites (approximately 70% by weight of the entire apparatus). The features of the Bell V-280 Valor can also include the V-tail and the fly-by-wire control system (remote control system (aircraft) using electric drives) with triple channel duplication. The massive V-tail, according to the calculations of the developers, will provide the vehicle with a stabilized flight in the aircraft mode, and will also help reduce the effective dispersion area of the tiltrotor somewhat.
The Bell V-280 convertible plane Valor is equipped with rotors with horizontally fixed engine nacelles, this solution eliminates the danger when paratroopers exit through side doors, and also facilitates their firing from the side of the convertoplane during approach to the target and landing on the ground. Among other things, this design will also reduce technical risk, eliminating the need for engine certification at different angles of inclination. Bell specialists are confident that the slope of the airflow of their new model will be at the intermediate level between the previous convertible plane V-22 and ordinary helicopters.
The new model of the convertible is not accidentally given the designation Bell V-280. Marking "V" in the title indicates the possibility of making a vertical take-off and landing, and the figure 280 - the cruising speed of the model in the nodes (about 520 km / h). The crew of the transport version may consist of 4 people, while the tiltrotor can carry up to 14 military personnel in full gear. Side doors about 1,8 meters wide can be used by paratroopers not only for entering and exiting, loading equipment and cargoes, but also for firing from onboard machine guns or from personal rifle fire. weapons.
Earlier in the network, information appeared that Bell Helicopter will present two versions of its new convertiplane to the US military: a transport man with a capacity of up to 14 and four crew members, and a shock one designed to replace the AN-64 Apache helicopter with the same fuselage. It is reported that the shock version of the convertoplan can carry weapons not only on the wing pylons, but also in the internal compartments. A gun or a device for refueling an aircraft in the air can be installed under the nose of the convertoplane. The presence of two different versions of the convertopalan is confirmed by the renders, which are posted on the official website of Bell Helicopter.
Flight technical characteristics of Bell V-280 Valor (according to www.bellhelicopter.com):
Cruising flight speed - 280 nodes (approximately 520 km / h).
Combat radius of action - 500-800 miles (926-1482 km).
Ferrying range - up to 2100 miles (3900 km).
Payload - 12 000 pounds (5400 kg).
Capacity - up to 4 crew members and 14 military personnel.
Information sources:
www.bellhelicopter.com
https://sandrermakoff.livejournal.com (фото летного прототипа)
http://pro-samolet.ru/blog-pro-samolet/776-bell-v-280-valor-konvertoplan-third-generation
http://avia.pro/blog/vertolet-bell-v-280-valor
https://www.popmech.ru/weapon/14030-v-280-valor-boevoy-konvertoplan
The Bell V-280 Valor convertible is developed by Bell Helicopter. It was first officially presented to the public in 2013, during an exhibition in Fort Worth, Texas. The first flight of the convertoplan is scheduled for 2017 year. The program of the US Army JMR-TD is aimed at developing aircraft with vertical take-off, which in the future will be able to replace the Boeing AH-64 Apache and Sikorsky UH-60 Blackhawk helicopters, which are in service with the American army. At the same time, the development of Bell Helicopter engineers claims to be the third generation convertible plane. The new tiltrotor is being developed taking into account the accumulated experience of designing and operating the first generation machines, which include the convertible planes XV-3 and XV-15, and the subsequent converter plans BA609 and V-22 Osprey, already belonging to the second generation of aircraft data.
To date, the US Army is the only operator in the world of convertible maps. In service with the Marine Corps and the United States Air Force today is the only commercially available convertiplane Bell V-22 Osprey. This aircraft was created during the 30 years by engineers from Bell and Boeing, the launch of operation - 8 December 2005. According to data on 2016, a little more than 300 convertiplanes of this type were released in the United States, the overwhelming part of them is in service with the United States Marine Corps, and the 46 convertible plans Bell V-22 Osprey are listed as the US Air Force Special Operations Command.
Bell V-280 Valor prototype
Japan became the only foreign customer of this convertiplane, which placed an order for the supply of MV-22B Block C in 2015. The first 5 aircraft under a contract of 2015 should be transferred to the Self-Defense Forces of Japan after June 2018. They are planned to be used for the defense of remote islands. First of all, those claimed by China. In addition to the convertiplanes themselves, Japan also acquired related equipment, including a modern on-board electronic defense complex, so the Japanese armed forces will receive convertiplanes in a “unique configuration”. It is reported that the first built for the army aviation Japan’s land self-defense forces, the MV-22B troop-borne tiltrotor launched ground tests in August 2017. His photographs were taken on the premises of the Bell's assembly center in Amarillo, in the same place where they later removed the novelty of the American aviation industry - Bell V-280 Valor.
Convertible planes are special aircraft that combine the capabilities of a helicopter and an airplane. They are machines with turning propellers (most often screw), which during take-off and landing work as lifting, and in flight they start to work - as pulling. At the same time, the lifting force required for horizontal flight is provided by an aircraft-type wing. Most often, the tiltrotor engines turn together with the screws, but on some of them only the screws turn. Such a scheme with turning screws was used on the third-generation tweeter V-280 Valor. The authorship of the new convertiplane is owned by Bell, which apparently undertook a deep revision of its previous project, the convertiplane V-22 Osprey. The main advantages of these aircraft are their higher speed and range compared to conventional helicopters, which is comparable to aircraft. At the same time, they retain the ability to take off and land from extremely limited in area, including unprepared sites, and also able to hover for a while in the air.
As the representatives of the company Bell, the convertiplane of the new generation V-280 Valor was created with all the latest requirements of the modern war. He had a significantly increased speed and range. According to some reports, the maximum flight speed of the tiltrotor will be approximately 560 km / h (cruising speed from the manufacturer’s website is 520 km / h). Above all, Bell engineers have made it possible for the model to be actively used in conditions of extreme ambient temperatures. In the end, they were able to further advance on the path of creating a hybrid that combines the speed of the aircraft and the ability to hover in the sky in one place, typical of all modern helicopters.
MV-22B Block C for Japan Self-Defense Forces
Unlike its predecessor V-22 Osprey, whose screws could tilt in flight with the engines, the V-280 Valor tiltrotor's engines are firmly fixed in a horizontal position, as a result of which the transition between helicopter and aircraft flight modes is carried out by tilting propellers alone . In this case, the designers used on the model V-280 wing straight sweep (as opposed to back on the V-22 Osprey). Moreover, the wing will be manufactured as a one-piece part (composite panel) using modern technology Large Cell Carbon Core. This solution will reduce the weight of the structure, as well as reduce production costs. In addition, the technology used also allows you to quickly identify defects that may arise during the operation of the aircraft. In the end, the basic model of the new convertiplane V-280 will not have a complicated folding wing mechanism, which was implemented on the marine version of the convertiplane V-22. At the same time, Bell representatives note that the landing zone of the new product will be comparable in size to the landing zone of UH-60 / UH-1Y helicopters.
The fuselage of the new convertiplane will be made of composite materials. In this regard, the new model continues the ideas embodied in the Bell V-22 Osprey, in which, in order to reduce the mass of the structure, the developers widely used various composites (approximately 70% by weight of the entire apparatus). The features of the Bell V-280 Valor can also include the V-tail and the fly-by-wire control system (remote control system (aircraft) using electric drives) with triple channel duplication. The massive V-tail, according to the calculations of the developers, will provide the vehicle with a stabilized flight in the aircraft mode, and will also help reduce the effective dispersion area of the tiltrotor somewhat.
The Bell V-280 convertible plane Valor is equipped with rotors with horizontally fixed engine nacelles, this solution eliminates the danger when paratroopers exit through side doors, and also facilitates their firing from the side of the convertoplane during approach to the target and landing on the ground. Among other things, this design will also reduce technical risk, eliminating the need for engine certification at different angles of inclination. Bell specialists are confident that the slope of the airflow of their new model will be at the intermediate level between the previous convertible plane V-22 and ordinary helicopters.
Bell V-280 Valor prototype
The new model of the convertible is not accidentally given the designation Bell V-280. Marking "V" in the title indicates the possibility of making a vertical take-off and landing, and the figure 280 - the cruising speed of the model in the nodes (about 520 km / h). The crew of the transport version may consist of 4 people, while the tiltrotor can carry up to 14 military personnel in full gear. Side doors about 1,8 meters wide can be used by paratroopers not only for entering and exiting, loading equipment and cargoes, but also for firing from onboard machine guns or from personal rifle fire. weapons.
Earlier in the network, information appeared that Bell Helicopter will present two versions of its new convertiplane to the US military: a transport man with a capacity of up to 14 and four crew members, and a shock one designed to replace the AN-64 Apache helicopter with the same fuselage. It is reported that the shock version of the convertoplan can carry weapons not only on the wing pylons, but also in the internal compartments. A gun or a device for refueling an aircraft in the air can be installed under the nose of the convertoplane. The presence of two different versions of the convertopalan is confirmed by the renders, which are posted on the official website of Bell Helicopter.
Flight technical characteristics of Bell V-280 Valor (according to www.bellhelicopter.com):
Cruising flight speed - 280 nodes (approximately 520 km / h).
Combat radius of action - 500-800 miles (926-1482 km).
Ferrying range - up to 2100 miles (3900 km).
Payload - 12 000 pounds (5400 kg).
Capacity - up to 4 crew members and 14 military personnel.
Bell V-280 Valor, renders from www.bellhelicopter.com:
Information sources:
www.bellhelicopter.com
https://sandrermakoff.livejournal.com (фото летного прототипа)
http://pro-samolet.ru/blog-pro-samolet/776-bell-v-280-valor-konvertoplan-third-generation
http://avia.pro/blog/vertolet-bell-v-280-valor
https://www.popmech.ru/weapon/14030-v-280-valor-boevoy-konvertoplan
Information