Bell V-280 Valor
| V-280 Valor | |
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| Role | Vertical lift aircraft |
| National origin | United States |
| Manufacturer | Bell Helicopter / Lockheed Martin |
| Status | Under development |
 Full-size mock-up
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More mock-up photos by American Helicopter Society
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The Bell V-280 Valor is a third-generation tilt-rotor aircraft being developed by Bell Helicopter and Lockheed Martin for the United States Army's Future Vertical Lift (FVL) program. The aircraft was officially unveiled at the 2013 Army Aviation Association of America's (AAAA) Annual Professional Forum and Exposition in Fort Worth, Texas, with a projected first flight in 2017.
On 5 June 2013, Bell announced that the V-280 Valor design had been selected by the US Army for the Joint Multi-Role (JMR) Technology Demonstrator (TD) phase. The JMR-TD phase is the technology demonstration precursor to Future Vertical Lift (FVL). The army classified the offering as a Category I proposal, meaning it is a well-conceived, scientifically or technically sound proposal pertinent to program goals and objectives with applicability to army mission needs, offered by a responsible contractor with the competent scientific and technical staff supporting resources required to achieve results. JMR-TD contracts were expected to be awarded in September 2013, with flights scheduled for 2017. On 9 September 2013, Bell announced it would team up with Lockheed Martin to develop the V-280. Lockheed will provide integrated avionics, sensors, and weapons to the aircraft. Additional partners were announced in the following months, including Moog Inc. for the flight control systems,GE Aviation for the engines,GKN for the tail structure,Spirit AeroSystems for the composite fuselage,Eaton Corporation as the distributor of hydraulics and power generation systems, and Astronics Advanced Electric Systems to design and manufacture power distribution systems.Israel Aerospace Industries, the first international partner recruited for the V-280, will supply the nacelle structures, and Textron sister company TRU Simulation & Training will build a high-fidelity marketing simulator and desktop maintenance trainer.
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