U.S. Army experimental test pilots fly Bell V-280 Valor

Experimental test pilots with the U.S. Army Redstone Test Center (RTC) conducted flights of the Bell-V280 Valor aircraft during August 2020 in support of the Future Vertical Lift (FVL) Future Long-Range Assault Aircraft (FLRAA) selection program.

These flight tests part of the U.S. Army Test and Evaluation Command (ATEC) preparations for the FLRAA test effort, a key element of Army Modernization. 

U.S. Army Experimental Test Pilot Maj. Wesley Paulsen and Bell Aircraft pilot Mr. Paul Ryan walk toward the Bell V-280 Valor (Photo Credit: Jay Miller)

"This is a tremendous opportunity for army experimental test pilots to fly the tech demonstrators developed under the Joint Multi-Role Technical Demonstrator Program; providing an initial familiarization with advanced rotorcraft technologies we might expect to see in the Future Long Range Assault Aircraft program of record,” said Brig. Gen. Walter Rugen, Director of the FVL Cross-Functional Team.

The FLRAA is on track for full rate production by 2030, and if all goes well for the Bell-V280 Valor there may be more Bell helicopter parts in circulation and helicopter pilots in training.

Maj. Wesley Paulsen and Mr. Adam Cowan, Army XPs from RTC, trained in the Software Integration Lab at Bell Flight Research Center in Arlington, Texas during the week of Aug. 24, before flying the Bell V-280 Valor. 

U.S. Army test pilots provide early embedded soldier touch points to put system capabilities into mission relevant context and to ensure the warfighter gets the best capabilities possible. They play an important role in the acquisition process of fielding an aircraft. Army test pilots plan, execute, and report on flight test results of the equipment to enable the Program Managers to make informed material decisions.

These ATEC test pilots work alongside flight test engineers embedded in both the FLRAA and Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft (FARA) programs. These programs are both supporting important army modernization efforts.

“These flights are an important milestone as the Army builds combined test teams with our industry partners and develops the experience and expertise to test new technologies for Future Vertical Lift,” said Col. Steven R. Braddom, Commander of RTC. “We are focused on ensuring we are ready to meet the challenges of army modernization. Army experimental test pilots with the engineering understanding of these aircraft, as well as significant operational and combat experience, will be a critical part of the Army’s development of the FLRAA and FARA aircraft.”

FLRAA is a program of record for the future aircraft developed in 2019 to replace Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk utility helicopters. FLRAA variants will also serve U.S. Special Operations Command and the United States Marine Corps like the UH-60, developed in the early 1970s, has been in service since June 1979.

The Army awarded Other Transaction Agreement contracts to Bell and Sikorsky for the competitive demonstration and risk reduction phase of the FLRAA aircraft in March 2020. This phase will extend over two years informing the final Army requirements and the program of record planned for competition in fiscal year 2022.

Similar test flights are scheduled with Sikorsky's FLRAA submission, the Sikorsky-Boeing SB>1 Defiant, for later this year.

Bell Textron awarded FARA Design Analysis Contract

Bell, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Textron Inc, won a $13.5 million multi-year production deal to conduct design analysis for the Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft (FARA) program Sept.8.

The order-dependent contract covers design studies, analyses, simulation, testing, integration and fabrication activities in order to mitigate risks, investigate operational usage and conduct maturation activities at the technology, subsystem and system-level maturation for FARA and its variants, according to the Department of Defense.

Bell 360 Invictus Prototype (Photo Courtesy Bell Textron)

Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of Sept. 7, 2025.

Bell Textron was awarded the deal by the U.S. Army Contracting Command as part of the FARA competition, what U.S. Army officials have calls its "knife-fighter' of future Army Aviation capabilities" as it will provide maximum performance in a small package.

In mid march, the U.S. Army selected Bell Textron and Sikorsky, a Lockheed Martin company, from the initial five FARA design candidates to build and test flying prototypes for the program, which will replace the OH-58 Scout helicopter.

Bell released a video showcasing its prototype rotorcraft, the Bell 360 Invictus, in July.

Bell 360 Invictus

As the competitors move further into the building and testing phase, Bell Textron will be seeking parts to bring its prototype to life. The Bell 360 Invictus will borrow the main rotor system and fly-by-wire flight controls of the Bell 525.

The FARA competition seeks to test and acquire a next-generation attack reconnaissance aircraft to fill that a critical capability gap: the army needs an aircraft capable of operating in a complex airspace and degraded environments against adversaries with an advanced integrated air defense system. 

The Army currently lacks the ability to conduct armed reconnaissance, light attack, and security with improved stand-off and lethal and non-lethal capabilities with a platform sized to hide in radar clutter and for the urban canyons and mega cities, according to the initial FARA solicitation.

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