SB>1 DEFIANT, a Sikorsky-Boeing technology demonstrator, has concluded mission profile test flights for the US Army’s future long-range assault aircraft (FLRAA) competition.
Free Buyers Guide
Leading Guide to Antennas, Masts & Towers for the Land Defence Industry
Thank you.
Go deeper with GlobalData
Related Company Profiles
Your download email will arrive shortly.Please check your mail inbox to download buyer's guide
You may also be interested in:
The test flights comprised landings in confined areas and operations at low-level.
It confirmed the relevancy of DEFIANT to the FLRAA mission, and demonstrated how DEFIANT will help to enhance survivability, as well as minimise the pilot’s workload.
SB>1 DEFIANT forms the basis of the proposed DEFIANT X weapon system, which is competing against Bell’s V-280 Valor tiltrotor for the competition.
The FLRAA competition is part of the Army’s future vertical lift programme, and seeks to find a replacement for the service’s UH-60 black hawk fleet.
Sikorsky DEFIANT chief flight test pilot Bill Fell said: “We fully demonstrated DEFIANT’s ability to execute the FLRAA mission profile by flying 236 knots in level flight, then reducing thrust on the propulsor to rapidly decelerate as we approached the confined, and unimproved, landing zone.
“This type of level body deceleration allowed us to maintain situational awareness, and view the landing zone throughout the approach and landing, without the typical nose-up helicopter deceleration.
“This confined area was extremely tight, requiring us to delay descent until nearly over the landing spot, followed by a near-vertical drop. We landed DEFIANT precisely on the objective with little effort as we descended into this narrow hole while maintaining clearance on all sides.”
DEFIANT X uses Sikorsky X2 technology to fly at high speeds and features an X2 coaxial rotor system and pusher prop for better manoeuvrability.
The first flight of the DEFIANT was carried out in 2019, in Florida.
Free Buyers Guide
Leading Guide to Antennas, Masts & Towers for the Land Defence Industry
Thank you.
Your download email will arrive shortly.Please check your mail inbox to download buyer's guide
You may also be interested in:
By downloading this Buyers Guide, you acknowledge that GlobalData UK Limited may share your information with our partners/sponsors who may contact you directly with information on their products and services.
Visit our Privacy Policy for more information about our services, how GlobalData may use, process and share your personal data, including information on your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications. Our services are intended for corporate subscribers and you warrant that the email address submitted is your corporate email address.