Bell leaders emphasize their cooperative efforts with the military as they work to make the Valor the multi-mission workhorse that the Army wants it to be. The Army’s Future Vertical Lift Cross-Functional Team is currently “flying before buying” as partners develop the FLRAA and FARA, Gen. McConville noted during an Association of the U.S. Army breakfast at the National Museum of the U.S. Army earlier this year. Bell also is competing in the FARA program with its Invictus, featuring a single main four-bladed rotor and open tail rotor,


while Sikorsky is proposing its S-97 Raider X coaxial.


“Note, these are aircraft and not helicopters because the transformational requirements we asked from industry are not resonant in traditional helicopters,” McConville told the breakfast crowd.


Alongside twice the speed and combat radius of the H-60 that’s been in service for the last four decades, Bell touts the Valor’s increased agility and flexible payloads. It


flies at 280 KTAS with a combat range of 500-800 nm, with the ability to refuel in the air. It carries 12 passengers. The Army is seeking an aircraft with a top speed of at least 250 knots and potentially up to 280 knots, with a combat radius of 200-300 nm, passenger capacity of 12, a 50-year service life, mid-air refueling, and an average unit price of $43 million (in 2018 dollars). The Black Hawk averages about $15.5 million while the Osprey averages $26 million.


ON THE UP AND UP


As a Bell Authorized Customer Service Facility, we offer inspections, major modifications, and everything in between:


• Avionics • Component Repair & Overhaul • Inspections • Maintenance


• Modifications • Parts • Paint • Pre-Buy Evaluations


• Special Missions/EMS • And More


Bring Us Your Bell | summit-aviation.com/up rotorcraftpro.com 63


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72  |  Page 73  |  Page 74  |  Page 75  |  Page 76  |  Page 77  |  Page 78  |  Page 79  |  Page 80  |  Page 81  |  Page 82  |  Page 83  |  Page 84