Page 17 - Flight International (January 2020)

DEFENCE

PROGRAMME GARRETT REIM LOS ANGELES
Delayed Defiant pushes the envelope

Partnership insists rotorcraft can hit expected performance targets after resolving demonstrator’s gearbox troubles

ikorsky and Boeing have V-280 Valor tiltrotor had accumu-
S continued to flight test their lated over 150h of flight time over
SB-1 Defiant compound helicop- two years as of December 2019.
ter, recently pushing the Last October, Sikorsky and
demonstrator to speeds of over Boeing outlined plans to increase
100kt (185km/h). the Defiant’s speed during test
“The Sikorsky-Boeing SB-1 flights in 40kt increments to 230kt
Defiant continues to expand its by the end of the first quarter this
flight envelope through sorties year. A subscale model has al-
each week, executing the mission ready been successfully tested at
elements required for Future 250kt at the NASA Ames Re-
Vertical Lift, most recently search Center in California.
exceeding 100kt and performing With its JMR-TD programme
manoeuvres at 30° angle of bank Sikorsky-Boeing ended, the US Army has shifted
at the Sikorsky Development focus to a final competition to
Flight Test Center in West Palm SB-1 has made faltering progress since debut flight in March 2019 replace its Sikorsky UH-60 Black
Beach, Florida,” the two firms say. Hawk utility helicopters. The ser-
Video footage released by the Additional uncertainty arose Vertical Lift programme. vice began soliciting conceptual
Sikorsky-Boeing team on 17 Jan- last year, when the US Army The Sikorsky-Boeing team has designs for its Future Long Range
uary addressed questions about stopped funding its Joint Multi- not revealed how many hours Assault Aircraft requirement in
the rotorcraft’s status, which had Role Technology Demonstration their Defiant demonstrator has September 2019. It aims to equip
been unclear since gearbox (JMR-TD) activity, being conduct- logged since its delayed debut initial units with the new
troubles put it behind schedule. ed in support of its Future sortie in March 2019. Bell’s rival rotorcraft no later than 2030. ■

UNMANNED SYSTEMS CRAIG HOYLE LONDON
Falco Xplorer embarks on airborne test campaign

eonardo has conducted the also look to expand the flight tronic intelligence suite, a turret- Leonardo describes the Falco
Lfirst flight of its Falco Xplorer envelope for the UAV, “dramati- housed electro-optical/infrared Xplorer – its largest UAV product
unmanned air vehicle (UAV), cally expanding the territory over sensor and an automatic identifi- to date – as “readily exportable
with a roughly 60min sortie which it can operate”. cation system fit for monitoring around the world”. The company
performed from Trapani air base Unveiled at the Paris air show maritime vessels. Third-party is also offering managed ISR
in Sicily on 15 January. last June, the Falco Xplorer has a systems can also be integrated. services using the system. ■
Staged in conjunction with the projected 24h flight endurance at
Italian air force’s test flight centre, a service ceiling of over 24,000ft. Remotely piloted UAV has a
the debut used segregated air- With a 1.3t maximum take-off projected endurance of 24h
space in the Gulf of Trapani. weight, the intelligence, surveil-
“The remotely piloted air lance and reconnaissance (ISR)
system will now embark on a asset can carry multiple sensors,
series of flight campaigns which with a maximum payload of
will assess the aircraft’s full range 350kg (795lb).
of capabilities, including its Optional equipment includes
integrated sensor system,” the Leonardo’s Gabbiano T-80 Leonardo
company says. This activity will surveillance radar, its Sage elec-

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18 | Flight International | 28 January-3 February 2020 flightglobal.com