The Tiltrotor Bell V-280 Valor owes its name to the speed it has achieved

The V-280 Valor by Bell is a so-called tiltrotor, which can be compared to a powered-lift, as it combines vertical flight capabilities known from helicopters with horizontal speed borrowed from airplanes. This one, however, is something special, which is only indicated by the fact that many companies participated in the construction, namely: Lockheed Martin, GE Aviation, Moog, IAI, TRU Simulation & Training, Astronics, Eaton, GKN Aerospace, Lord, Meggitt and Spirit AeroSystems.

Something unique about this combat aircraft is also its name, as it owes it to tests last Wednesday, which allowed it to develop an actual speed of 280 knots, or 518 km / h. The test itself took place at the Flight Research Center in Arlington, Texas, after completing over 85 hours of the test flight.

The V-280 Valor is a kind of successor to the V-22 Osprey. It consists of all kinds of composites in multilayer honeycomb configurations with large-cell carbon fiber inserts in the fuselage, wing and tail parts. As a result, the plane can boast a weight reduction of 30 percent while maintaining reasonably strong armor.

According to the main company, Bell, this aircraft is able to fly at twice the speed of current medium-lift helicopters. Why the medium capacity one? Well, the contractor decided to make such a comparison, mentioning the possibility of taking to the skies with 14 soldiers and two crews controlling the V-280 itself. This one can also boast a huge range on one refueling, as much as 1481 km, and the possibility of “hovering” in the air at an altitude of 6000 meters.

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Source: New Atlas