Move Over Osprey: The Army's New Tiltrotor Chopper Is Ready for Combat

[rebewranger]

June 23, 2022   
 
Move Over Osprey: The Army's New Tiltrotor Chopper Is Ready for Combat

Bell developers have increased the V-280’s reliability and sustainment potential by identifying and fixing or avoiding challenges or problems associated with the Osprey.

by Kris Osborn

Years ago, the U.S. Army’s vision for its fleet of Future Vertical Lift helicopters and aircraft was intended to engineer platforms that could operate in a dangerous threat environment in the 2030s and not focus on the near term when it comes to the development of paradigm-changing new aircraft.
 
As part of this, the U.S. Army's vision for its future rotorcraft is grounded in extended sustainability, meaning the aircraft will need to be both maintained and upgraded for decades moving into the future.

Bell engineers of the V-280 Valor, a tiltrotor aircraft now submitted as an offering in the U.S. Army’s Future Long-Range Assault Aircraft competition, sought to anticipate and align with the U.S. Army’s vision for the long-term reliability and sustainability of its platform. Bell’s strategy seeks to use the Modular Open Systems Architecture (MOSA) to ensure long-term upgradeability and sustainability through the use of common technical standards, internet protocols, and specific interfaces intended to improve interoperability.

https://nationalinterest.org/blog/buzz/move-over-osprey-armys-new-tiltrotor-chopper-ready-combat-203146

[PeteS in CA]

Bell is one of the partners in developing the V-22 Osprey, which has been in service for some 17 years. Bell would be a natural for a next generation tiltrotor aircraft. Making the new craft upgradeable would be a continuation of what has been done with the V-22 and Army, Navy & Marine, and USAF aircraft. The linked article doesn't give schedule information, but it appears that the first prototype of the V-280 is toward or at the end of testing to achieve its full flight envelope. This will likely lead to a round of improvements, a build of several more prototypes ... IOW, if all goes well, including training of outfits switching to the V-280, it will likely be at least 5-10 years before the V-280 goes operational.

Osprey-bashing is a cottage industry, but IRL it will likely still be in service for at least another 10-20 years, and possibly longer.

[Fishrrman]