On Monday, the Army announced that Bell’s V-280 Valor has won the Future Long-Range Assault Aircraft (FLRAA) competition aimed at fielding a modern replacement for the legendary UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter. The contract award, potentially worth as much as $1.2 billion, will fund ongoing development of the platform heading toward a production contract worth tens of billions of dollars.
But many have voiced concerns about the Valor’s ability to do the job… So we set out to find answers to your most pressing questions.
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Further Reading:
Contract announcement: https://www.sandboxx.us/blog/breaking-the-bell-v-280-valor-will-replace-the-armys-legendary-black-hawk/
Citations:
Keith Flail quotes: https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/21162/we-talk-v-280-valor-versus-v-22-osprey-with-bells-head-of-tiltrotor-systems
Mishap Report: https://www.pogo.org/analysis/2020/12/military-aviation-is-in-a-tailspin
Maj. Hernandez quote: https://www.marinecorpstimes.com/news/your-marine-corps/2022/07/20/video-of-fatal-2017-marine-osprey-crash-shows-final-moments-before-landing-went-horribly-wrong/#:~:text=Hernandez%20provided%20larger%20context%20regarding,Hernandez%20wrote%20on%20July%208.
UH-60 deaths: http://www.armyaircrews.com/blackhawk.html
37 deaths: https://www.nytimes.com/1985/04/20/us/helicopter-fleet-grounded-by-army.html
“Safest helicopter” https://www.upi.com/Archives/1988/03/10/Army-Black-Hawk-helicopter-safest-despite-accidents/9566573973200/
Mishap rates: https://breakingdefense.com/2017/09/marine-aviation-deaths-are-six-times-navys/
“Golden Hour” https://www.airmedandrescue.com/latest/long-read/military-aviation-modernization-saving-lives-speed-and-range
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How are they going to deal with the torque transfer issue? I thought part of the crashes with the Osprey had to do with how the torque transferred on a signal engine failure. I forgot the details, but I thought at lower altitudes, when a torque transfer occurs because of engine troubles, there was a lag which caused an imbalace in the lift distribution from one engine to another. If the pilot wasn't aware, the Osprey can tilt dangerously and lose control. Not sure if I captured this correctly.
With the Valor designed to be used closer to the fight, engine damage and engine failures might be a bigger issue. Has the Valor designed-in a better single engine performance technology?
Also, these stories of the military saying one weapon system is safer or no less dangerous than another sounds a lot like the Harrier issue. It's safer in the sense that if you have super skilled and experienced pilots flying it, then yes, it's safer. All planes would be safer in this context. However, will the Valor be piloted only by these highly skilled pilots? Or is this suppossed to be deployed widely and to as many pilots as possible (i.e., like a general utility helicopter)? Will this affect overall safety? I guess we will see.
I had the opportunity to ride the V22 in Afghanistan while in the Marines and the most striking detail to me when I saw the aircraft was how much smaller it is in person. Pictures and videos make the V22 look and feel huge but it's definitely not the case.
Also, how will the Valor be armed? Meaning, Blackhawks usually have door mounted weapons of various kinds. But the fields of fire seem less restricted because the rotors are large and are sometimes rotating near the front of the Valor. I would assume this would prevent any forward facing fire support while in full forward flight. I believe that was an issue with the Osprey as well, with the cargo door mounted machine gun being pretty inadequate. They created an elaborate, remote operated mini-gun system that deployed from the floor through an opening, but I don't think that was widely adopted, and it took up a lot of space in the cargo area. It is almost impossible to use forward firing weapons except around the nose area, and that was never attempted as far as I can tell.
So looking at the Valor, I see the same issues. Limited fire arcs from door mounted weaponry in forward flight, no rear cargo door to mount a weapon like in the Osprey, even less space to mount a floor operated mini-gun like the Osprey, really no way to mount wing mounted or fuselage mounted weapons. The UH1s and Blackhawks were much more versatile in this way.
Does this mean that the Valor will also be the primary choice to replace the Apache's and scout/attack helicopter role? Or is the Defiant variant still in the running there?
V-280 Valor will replace UH-60 but which one will replace AH-64 Apache???
The only inexcusable part is that a foreign engine is being used. Disgusting. 😡🤬
The fix was in huh?
I worry about tilt rotors
IF it can fly on one engine how do you deal with asymmetrical thrust for forward flight and the ability to land?
BADASS AIRCRAFT, BUT LIKE THE V 22. IT'S WEAKNESS IS THE THE TILT ROTORS.
You are TRULY the Fair and Balanced "go to guy" for info about military platforms. Thanks for doing the research for all us working stiffs.
I hope the current crop of military recruits are even close to your standard of excellence. If so, I will always sleep soundly and not worry about our country's security.
The flaw I see in your point is that's 57 dead in a craft which has only been around since 2007. All the other platforms you mentioned have great air crafts numbers and years of experience. 57 people in 15 years at half the amount of air crafts is a big number. I'm not buying your argument.
Just remember, people thought that UCP was a good idea, too. Let's hope this isn't just the Army trying and failing to copy the Marines' homework again.
I can see one problem with this platform the rotor blades take up more room than the Blackhawk helicopter or the other helicopter that it beat out
I don’t understand why we don’t have a tilt – jet transport in service by now. The AV-8 Harrier has been flying for over 50 years. Granted, it is a fighter/attack aircraft. But if someone had asked Boeing to make a VTOL version of the C-5 fifty years ago, it would be flying by now.
The V-280 looks bad ass. I think the Blackhawk will have a roll to play, probably forever, but if we can improve upon it, get it done.
Hmm. Seems like those propellers make for some huge target
It looks like a great platform for certain jobs. But because of its size and cost it will never completely replace the Blackhawk.
The US Army just added to the unemployment list by awarding this multi billion dollar contract to Bell and throwing Sikorski Aircraft employees under the bus. Sikorski has been building Military aircraft for as long as they've been in existence. Hopefully the Military will keep these folks employed somehow.
I'm not hearing comments from anyone who had a choice of ride (Blackhawk or Osprey) back to happy hour but I can tell you which one I'd choose. This thing is still a baby – but wait till they put a third engine on it, like the CH-53E, and a refueling probe then we're talking about hurricane force winds and a way to deliver fire retardant from 'way' over the horizon. Power projection is not for the faint of heart and the Pacific Pivot just got leveled up.
Can it sling load anything?
The Navy uses the Blackhawk platform, Seahawk, which fits into the hangers on destroyers/cruisers, so will either continue development or, eventually adopt another similar, smallish system but at low numbers.