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Image Courtesy: Bell Helicopter

Future Vertical Lift - The Next Generation of Army Aviation

Henry Neiberlien News Editor

Everyone has heard of the famous AH-64 Apache attack helicopter, the Ch-47 Chinook, and the UH-60 Blackhawk. What if I told you that the US Army has a plan to replace them all by the late 2020’s and prototypes have already been built and flown. What could cause the Pentagon to want to possibly replace these magnificent workhorses of our military you ask? Well, you can blame the V-22 Osprey. The Osprey’s VTOL capability has changed military strategy, with an aircraft that can easily outrun any helicopter and still land on the back of a moving ship. The Army has been bitten by the vertical takeoff and landing bug, and they are not stopping

with just one, they want to replace their entire fleet with them. Enter the Future Vertical Lift (FVL) and its precursor, the Joint MultiRole program (JMR). The JMR program is to provide technology demonstrations next year to the Army so they can select aircraft to continue development. The JMR program is seeking aircraft similar in size to a Bell 206 all the way up to the size of a C-130 Hercules, all with vertical takeoff capability. Sikorsky has already flown a demonstrator based on their X-2 technology, called the S-97 Raider. The Raider is a coaxial rotor design with a pusher propeller in the tail that can propel it to speeds over 250 miles per hour with external weapons. Boeing has partnered with Sikorsky and will scale

up the X-2 technology to a Blackhawk sized variant called the SB-1 Defiant. Bell has also has entered the FVL program with a prototype of its V-280 Valor. The Valor is the same size as a Blackhawk as well; however, it is not a coaxial rotor helicopter, but a fully-fledged tilt-rotor utilizing V-22 technology. With the tilt-rotor design, the V-280 can achieve speeds of 280 KTAS, uses composite material for its construction just like the S-97, retractable landing gear that the Blackhawk lacks in almost all variants, and features touchscreen avionics with full fly by wire control system. The V-280 will be cheaper and less problem prone than the V-22 by using a redesigned tilt rotor system. On the V-22, the entire engine pod rotates

which can create issues and complications. On the V-280, just the rotors rotate while the engine remains stationary; this is much more efficient than rotating the entire engine. Although other entries were competing for the program, like Airbus Helicopters X3 demonstrator, the Army has ultimately selected the SB-1 and V-280 to develop demonstrators to be flown as early as next year. The S-97 is already being developed for the US Special Operations Command or SOCOM. The V-280 and the SB-1 both have their advantages and disadvantages. The V-282 has speed and lift capacity but is not very maneuverable at slower speeds, which can be critical when landing or taking off under fire. On the other hand, the SB-1’s

X-2 technology is very maneuverable at all operational speeds. However, these speeds are significantly slower than the V-280 or V-22. The SB-1 might also be not as efficient for long distance, as it relies on rotating rotors at all times for lift, just like a helicopter, while the V-280 can rely on lift surfaces and fly like a conventional airplane. While the Blackhawk and Apache will remain in service for many years to come, their days may be numbered. Technology has finally provided a way to blend airplane and helicopter into one fast and nimble war machine. On the battlefields of the future, speed will be critical, placing reinforcements down as quickly as possible reduces the chances of taking return fire and speed

allows the Army to flank its enemy before it even realizes it is being outflanked. These new aircraft will also incorporate advanced technologies such as entirely glass cockpits, without a switch or knob insight, such as seen on the V-280 mock-up. Bell has said this allows for the next generation of recruits, who grew up on video games and tablets, to better transition to the controls of some of the most advanced aircraft in the world. VTOL aircraft have always been a dream of aerospace engineers, and many prototypes have been built in the last 75 years since the golden age of the autogyro and the Zeppelin. Now technology has finally caught up to the concept, and they are poised to take over the Army aviation world.

United Airlines Defers 737 Order Hugo Fonck Staff Reporter United Airlines has been in the news for several reasons this week, most notably for updating its cabin with a “basic economy” fare that supposedly removes access to the overhead bins to store bags. On Tuesday, however, news on United was also focused on the fact that it had decided

to defer a recent order of Boeing aircraft worth $5 billion. The original order was for 65 Boeing 737700’s, which Boeing had made in two separate bids in January and March of this year. However, United has decided to convert those orders into four 737800 and the remaining 61 aircraft into 737 MAX. The airline estimates this move will cut expenditures by

$1.6 billion through 2018. United has also announced the purchase of 24 Embraer E-175’s which will be leased directly to its affiliates as United Express. The news did cause Boeing’s stock to fall on Tuesday and for the remainder of the week, with some stabilization on Friday. Despite the announcement Boeing was adamant in saying that this order cut would not affect its plan for

achieving a production rate of 57 aircraft per month by 2019. United Airlines’ fleet will face other changes in the next several years, as it announced plans to retire all 747 aircraft by 2018. All of United’s announcements this week were part of an optimization-based grand strategy that is projected to bring in an additional $4.8 billion in revenue to United between now and 2020.

Image Courtesy: United Airlines United’s decision to defer its order of 737s has caused a lot of controvers