Sikorsky/Boeing, Bell Win U.S. Army JMR Rotorcraft Demonstrators | AWIN ONLY content from Aviation Week
Sikorsky/Boeing, Bell Win U.S. Army JMR Rotorcraft Demonstrators
Aug 12, 2014
Amy Butler and Graham Warwick
A Sikorsky/Boeing team has received one of two contracts to build high-speed rotorcraft technology demonstrators for the U.S. Army.
Bell Helicopter will build the second flight demonstrator, an industry source says.
The Sikorsky/Boeing team will build the 230 kt.-plus SB.1 Defiant rigid coaxial-rotor compound helicopter and Bell the 280-kt. V-280 Valor tiltrotor under the $217 million first phase of the Joint Multi Role technology demonstration (JMR TD). Both rotorcraft are to fly in late 2017.
JMR TD is the precursor to the Army’s planned Future Vertical Lift Medium (FVL-M) program to replace the Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk utility helicopter from the mid-2030s onward. An attack derivative could later replace the Boeing AH-64 Apache and a marinized version could replace the Navy’s MH-60 Seahawk.
The two other competitors for JMR TD Phase 1, small companies AVX Aircraft and Karem Aircraft, are expected to receive Army contracts for some level of continued technology development. AVX was proposing a 230-kt. coaxial-rotor/ducted-fan compound and Karem a variable-speed tiltrotor.
Cost-sharing is a major component of JMR and executives at both Bell and Boeing have said industry is investing many times more than the government in the technology demonstration because of the importance of the follow-on FVL-M program.
How much of the JMR TD budget the Army has left to spend with AVX and Karem will depend on the cost-sharing agreed to by Sikorsky/Boeing and Bell. Both AVX and Karem say they are in discussions with the Army.
The Defiant and Valor will demonstrate high-speed rotorcraft candidates for FVL-M, at or close to full scale, but there is no guarantee the Army ultimately will opt for higher speed when it comes time to replace the UH-60 and AH-64.
With the rigid coaxial rotors, pusher propeller and advanced fly-by-wire controls of Sikorsky’s X2 configuration, the Defiant demonstrator will be powered by a pair of Honeywell T55 turboshafts from the Boeing CH-47 Chinook.
Bell’s V-280 demonstrator will be powered by a pair of General Electric T67 turboshafts, mounted fixed at the wingtips and driving tilting proprotors. Bell’s team members include Lockheed Martin for the mission system, Spirit AeroSystems for the composite fuselage, GKN for the V-tail and Moog for the fly-by-wire flight controls.
Strange as I had heard through the grapevine that Bell had been selected nearly 2 weeks ago, but was likely staying mum until the Army had concluded negotiations with the other competitors regarding lower level-funded JMR technology developments (presumably with AVX or Karem) and made the announcement themselves.
Looks as though Boeing was informed on Monday, and immediately put forth a press release today
Sikorsky, Boeing Selected to Build Technology Demonstrator for Future Vertical Lift