[cashflyer]

From the interwebz:

The Bell V-280 Valor is being developed for the United States Army's Future Vertical Lift (FVL) program.

Future Vertical Lift (FVL) is a program to develop a family of military helicopters for the United States Armed Forces. Four different sizes of aircraft are to be developed and are meant as replacements for the Army's UH-60 Black Hawk, AH-64 Apache, CH-47 Chinook, and OH-58 Kiowa helicopters.

The precursor for FVL is the Joint Multi-Role (JMR) helicopter program, which will provide technology demonstrations planned for 2017. On 11 August 2014, the Army informed the Bell-Lockheed team that they had chosen the V-280 Valor to participate in the JMR demonstration program against the The Boeing-Sikorsky SB-1 Defiant was also chosen.

The V-280 is reported to be designed for a cruising speed of 280 knots with a range of 2,100 nautical miles, and an effective combat range of 500 to 800 nmi. Expected maximum takeoff weight is around 30,000 lb. (Versus 60,500 lb for the V-22)

In one major difference from the earlier V-22 Osprey tiltrotor, the engines remain in place while the rotors and drive shafts tilt. A driveshaft runs through the straight wing, allowing both prop rotors to be driven by a single engine in the event of engine loss.

Special emphasis has been placed on reducing the weight of the V-280 in comparison to the V-22, which in turn would reduce cost. To do this, composites are used extensively. Bell expects the V-280 to cost around the same as a AH-64E or MH-60M. While the Osprey has a higher disk loading and lower hover efficiency than a helicopter, the V-280 will have a lower disk loading and longer wing for greater hover and cruise efficiency.