The US Army has selected the replacement for its Black Hawk helicopters...

[Commissar SFLUFAN]

...and it's a goddamned tilt-rotor.

 

Army Chooses Bell V-280 to Replace Its Black Hawk Helicopters

WWW.DEFENSEONE.COM

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Bell beat the Defiant-X pitched, a compound coaxial helicopter offered by a Sikorsky-Boeing team.

 

Quote

 

The U.S. Army has chosen Bell to build a new aircraft that will replace the venerable UH-60 Black Hawk, which has been flying soldiers in combat since the 1970s.

 

Bell received a $232 million contract on Monday—the first installment of what could be a $7.1 billion deal for development and an initial batch of aircraft.

 

“It’s a chance to move to the next step in this vital program,” Doug Bush, the Army acquisition chief, said during a Monday evening call with reporters.

 

It’s a huge win that could be worth more than $70 billion for the Textron-owned company in the coming decades depending on how many aircraft are ordered by the Army and foreign militaries. 

 

 

[Kal-El814]

What, did we see what's happening in Ukraine and feel like we could do worse?

[Brick]

Somehow "Bell V-280 Down" just doesn't have the same ring to it. 

[thewhyteboar]

This will kill more Americans than ISIS ever could.

[Kal-El814]

@Commissar SFLUFAN Was it you that said your father would never get in a helicopter despite being a pilot himself? Did he have a take on tilt copters?

[Chris-]

12 minutes ago, Kal-El814 said:

@Commissar SFLUFAN Was it you that said your father would never get in a helicopter despite being a pilot himself? Did he have a take on tilt copters?

 

'Even faster with less lift' doesn't seem like it would really assuage his concerns.

[CitizenVectron]

Pros: Looks cool

Cons: Everything else

 

They'd better come up with a cool bird name for it, blackhawk is hard to beat. I suggest Spotted Dick. Or Barn Owl.

[Reputator]

4 minutes ago, CitizenVectron said:

Pros: Looks cool

Cons: Everything else

 

They'd better come up with a cool bird name for it, blackhawk is hard to beat. I suggest Spotted Dick. Or Barn Owl.

 

I vote "Dark Oriface"

[CitizenVectron]

Wtf. I assumed from that picture in the OP it was at least slim...this thing is a monster

 

[Commissar SFLUFAN]

35 minutes ago, Kal-El814 said:

@Commissar SFLUFAN Was it you that said your father would never get in a helicopter despite being a pilot himself? Did he have a take on tilt copters?

 

That's exactly right!  He ABSOLUTELY REFUSED to set foot in a helicopter!

 

I don't think he had a perspective on tilt-rotors though he probably would've had slightly less reservations about them.

[Uaarkson]

I can’t think of anything more terrifying than being in a helicopter during an active ground war. You get two or three shoulder fired rockets nearby and you’re fucked.

[Kal-El814]

4 minutes ago, Commissar SFLUFAN said:

 

That's exactly right!  He ABSOLUTELY REFUSED to set foot in a helicopter!

 

I don't think he had a perspective on tilt-rotors though he probably would've had slightly less reservations about them.

 

Interesting, as someone not familiar with aviation, I'd have assumed another failure point would have made them a more dubious prospect. Does the tilt negate some of the risk of a fixed point rotor?

[DarkStar189]

Are tilt-rotars bad? 

[CayceG]

1 minute ago, DarkStar189 said:

Are tilt-rotars bad? 

 

They're more complicated than conventional helicopters. And the V-22 has had a bad rap due to accidents. 

 

 

[DarkStar189]

4 minutes ago, CayceG said:

 

They're more complicated than conventional helicopters. And the V-22 has had a bad rap due to accidents. 

 

 

Gotcha. On a lighter note, I watch my son play Battlefield sometimes and he likes to fly the osprey looking aircraft. He always transitions too low and ends up belly flopping into the ground with it.

[Commissar SFLUFAN]

14 minutes ago, Kal-El814 said:

Does the tilt negate some of the risk of a fixed point rotor?

 

I think that would've been his reasoning, but it would only be marginally more acceptable, if at all.

[Commissar SFLUFAN]

19 minutes ago, Uaarkson said:

You get two or three shoulder fired rockets nearby and you’re fucked.

 

One RPG will do the job just fine.

[Commissar SFLUFAN]

39 minutes ago, CitizenVectron said:

Wtf. I assumed from that picture in the OP it was at least slim...this thing is a monster

 

 

WHY IS THIS THING SO GODDAMNED BIG?!?

 

It's 2/3 the size of the V-22.

[Jwheel86]

As much as I want to shit on this, Sikorsky (aka fucking Boeing) really fucked by not being able to deliver on their design. 

 

 

17 minutes ago, Commissar SFLUFAN said:

 

WHY IS THIS THING SO GODDAMNED BIG?!?

 

It's 2/3 the size of the V-22.

 

It actually isn't that much bigger than a Black Hawk, and Bell claims they can operate off a Destroyer. 

 

[Keyser_Soze]

Wings are good, rotors are good, 2 rotors are better, best flying vehicle ever!

[GeneticBlueprint]

1 hour ago, CitizenVectron said:

Wtf. I assumed from that picture in the OP it was at least slim...this thing is a monster

 

Can’t get shot down over Mogadishu if you couldn’t fit anywhere there to land

[outsida]

2 hours ago, Brick said:

Somehow "Bell V-280 Down" just doesn't have the same ring to it. 

Valor Down sounds better 🤷‍♂️

 

Also the Osprey is like 1980s tech while this is 2010s tech. 

[Xbob42]

Just name it "Civilian" so it makes wartime propaganda easier.

[skillzdadirecta]

Pretty sure I had one of these when I was a kid... it was either a Transformer or a M.A.S.K. vehicle... seriously, this was clearly designed by a kid who grew up playing with toys that transformed into other toys. Are they hiding the third mode when it turns into a robotic mech and the blades become dual swords?

[skillzdadirecta]

4 hours ago, Uaarkson said:

I can’t think of anything more terrifying than being in a helicopter during an active ground war. You get two or three shoulder fired rockets nearby and you’re fucked.

My friend's father was a chopper gunner in 'Nam. Some of the stories he used to tell us... brrrr.

[CayceG]

One of the things I've seen as a criticism of this (and the V-22) is that you can't fast-rope or use a dropping basket off a winch. 

 

Those are pretty important for some combat and search and rescue operations. The V-280 is basically designed to be the best in an environment like the west-Pacific through the First Island Chain. Being able to operate over long distances, very quickly, and being able to land in a prepared area. That's what drove this design. 

 

My guess is these become maintenance hogs and the Army realize they're too expensive to replace the UH-60 one-for-one. I reckon the UH-60 will be piecemeal upgraded to remain in service for a very long time. 

[Jwheel86]

The competitor: