(CercleFinance.com) – The ‘Sikorsky-Boeing SB-1 Defiant’, named after this candidate helicopter for the US Army’s FLRAA (Future Long-Range Assault Aircraft) program, has successfully completed its first test flights , including landings in confined areas and low-altitude travel, announced Lockheed Martin and Boeing, co-designers of the device.
These flights validate the aircraft’s suitability for army missions: the coaxial rotor system and the thrust propeller allow a high degree of maneuverability (bank turns greater than 60 degrees) while reducing the workload of the pilot, says Boeing.
During the flight, ‘the aircraft reached 236 knots (nearly 440 km/h) before decelerating rapidly as it approached the landing zone,’ reports Bill Fell, flight test manager.
‘This type of horizontal deceleration allowed us to keep the landing zone in sight throughout the approach without having to undergo the typical deceleration and nose-up of helicopters’, continues the specialist.
According to its designers, the Defiant X will allow crews to fly low and fast over complex terrain. “The idea is to be able to move more assets, maneuver in confined terrain and develop combat power faster than your opponent,” summarizes Boeing.
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