At one of the plants in the consortium of Sikorsky Aircraft - Boeing, located in Florida (USA), a new SB> 1 "Defiant" helicopter was rolled out.
In 2014, US troops held a competition on the development of the technology demonstrator of a single multi-purpose helicopter of the next generation JMR-TD.
The named program is the forerunner of the formation of an FVL vertical take-off and landing aircraft for the needs of the US Department of Defense.
The purpose of the development of SB> 1 "Defiant" is the design of the aircraft, the speed of which will exceed the speed of existing models twice. In addition, its flight range will increase. The first departure of this model is planned for early 2019. The plans of the Ministry of Defense to adopt this helicopter in service in the early 2030s.
The technical conditions for the new car set forth the following conditions: when transporting a dozen paratroopers, its speed should be more than 426 km / h. In order to fulfill this customer’s wish, when designing SB> 1 “Defiant”, a scheme with two coaxial screws, which rotate in different directions, and a screw, which pushes the machine forward, is used. This scheme has already been used in other projects, for example, X2 and S-97 "Rider".
It is planned that SB> 1 “Defiant”, on which the existing Lycoming / Honeywell T55 powerplant is installed, will accelerate to a speed of 463 km / h. Most likely, this power plant will go through improvement with the use of implemented programs ITEP and FATE.
Representatives of the companies Sikorsky and Boeing say that this model has high parameters of maneuverability, and the turning radius is two times smaller than that of the existing helicopters.
In addition to designing the main transport and multi-functional version, Sikorsky and Boeing demonstrated images that indicate the development of a special impact model. It is distinguished by a tandem-type cabin, small pylons for armament suspension and an aircraft cannon in the bow.
What models are to be replaced
In the near future, the US Army is going to adopt a line of FVL platforms designed to change the Black Hawk UH-60 and the Apache AH-64 assault. As part of the re-equipment program, it is planned to replace 4,000 vehicles.
