Specially developed by Bell and Lockheed Martin for the Army’s Future Long-Range Assault Aircraft (FLRAA) program to replace the UH-60 Black Hawk, the Bell V-280 Valor is the only Future Vertical Lift weapons system with flight-proven agility, speed, range, endurance, and overall performance. It also adds benefits of reduced risk and long-term cost from a proven tiltrotor platform.

The design of V-280 is derived from the UH-60 Black Hawk medium lift helicopter with major necessary changes. While the V-280 has a slightly broader footprint than the Black Hawk, it is also more than 20% shorter, thanks to the absence of exposed rotors on the leading and trailing edges of the footprint. This footprint, which is unique to the V-280 layout, allows for more landing zone flexibility and increased personnel safety everywhere around the aircraft. Actions in and out of the landing zone do not require any clutching or de-clutching mechanisms of sophisticated propulsors with routine tilting of the proprotors. The fuselage, however, resembles that of the Black Hawk. When landing, the wing is more than 7 feet above the ground, allowing personnel to readily exit through two 6-foot-wide side doors and door gunners to have vast fields of fire.

In terms of engine, the V-280 is completely different if compared to the earlier Bell’s tiltrotor family member, V-22 Osprey. It is powered by the General Electric T64, a free-turbine turboshaft engine, although the particular engine for the model performance specification was unclear at the time. The V-280 Valor’s engines will remain static as the rotors and drive shafts tilt. In the case of engine failure, a driveshaft runs through the straight wing, allowing both prop rotors to be operated by a single engine.


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