Additional flight testing of Bell V-280 Valor

By Ben Sampson28th May 20191 Min Read

The Bell V-280 Valor tilt rotor is undergoing test flights at the company’s Flight Research Center in Arlington, Texas.

Flight testing, which started in December 2017, has recently seen the aircraft achieve its cruising speed of 280 knots.

Flight tests during 2019 aim to prove key performance parameters and to expand the performance envelope in areas such as low-speed agility maneuvers, angles of bank and autonomous flight, some of which are shown in this video

Its development program is part of the Joint Multi Role Technology Demonstrator program. Partners on the program include Lockheed Martin, GE, Moog, IAI, TRU Simulation & Training, Astronics, Eaton, GKN Aerospace, Lord, Meggitt and Spirit AeroSystems. The companies are collectively referred to as Team Valor.

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Ben Sampson

Ben has worked as a journalist and editor, covering technology, engineering and industry for the last 20 years. Initially writing about subjects from nuclear submarines to autonomous cars to future design and manufacturing technologies, he was editor of a leading UK-based engineering magazine before becoming editor of Aerospace Testing in 2017.