Bell's V-280 Valor
hovered for the first time. While there is still competition for the US Army's "future of vertical lift" core aircraft to replace the Blackhawk, and perhaps the Apache if the modularity promised in the advertisements can be made to come true, the next progression of tilt rotor tactical aircraft hovered today. We live in interesting times. Granted,
Sikorsky's Defiant is aiming for a similar spot by using a different technical solution in applying the S-97's coaxial rotor methodology on a larger scale. Will be interesting to see how large that scaling allows that concept to progress.
The question I ask is: who will be able to afford it? For those who can, it seems to be a significant step forward in military rotary wing aviation sometime in the middle of next decade. As with Osprey and F-35, however, some potential customers may look at the price tag and walk away. Unfortunately.
Pushing the edges of tech brings a price premium with it. I am not sure if a ball park cost has been tossed out, but this isn't your grandpa's Blackhawk. (If your grandpa was a Utility pilot ...)