Originally Posted by
The Sultan
The fly-by-wire on the V-280 was the logical/only option considered as the next step from the V-22 and 609 programs. When the 525 was being designed the staff was populated with 609 lead engineers who decided to go fly-by-wire. There was absolutely no 525 design influence on the V-280.
With respect to the 525, it was supposed to be certified in the 2017/2018 time frame. Now it is 2024 and it is still not certified. Knowing the FAA Southwest Region (and the fallout of the 737 Max debacle) I surmise the 6 to 7 year slip is due to it being FBW with all the new rules (roadblocks) that the regulators could come up with. So in hindsight going FBW does not look like the right approach for a commercial helicopter.
Sultan,
Are you familiar with the song from the musical Hamilton, “The Room Where it Happens”?
I was in the proverbial room at Bell when it happened. A small group engineers risked their future careers at Bell, and went against the direction not to pursue commercial FBW by the VP of Engineering JL. JL was known for his vindictiveness, and forced many excellent engineers to pursue careers elsewhere.
From your comments, it is obvious to me you were not even in the building, let alone the room. Your comments are based on either incorrect secondhand sources, flawed personal beliefs, or a combination of both. I am rarely this harsh in an online post response. However in this case it was required.
Had the 525 not been FBW, following the completion of the 609 sale to Leonardo, Bell’s ability to develop FBW controls would have been dissolved by JL.
Regarding the delays in 525 certification, there are many reasons. However FBW is not a primarily factor.