A tiltrotor to replace the UH-60 Blackhawk a looking back on a record setting X-15 flight
A tiltrotor to replace the UH-60 Blackhawk a looking back on a record setting X-15 flight
The Blackhawk gets a (controversial?) replacement and remembering an X-15 breaking its previous record
“Strategic air attack is wasted if it is dissipated piecemeal in sporadic attacks between which enemy has an opportunity to readjust defenses or recuperate.”
-General H. H. “Hap” Arnold
Mission Briefing
The replacement for the UH-60 Blackhawk
The replacement of the venerable UH-60 has taken its next step in its drive towards active-duty service. Known today as the Future Long Range Assault Aircraft (FLRAA) it has officially become a Program of Record (PoR) for the U.S. Army, marking a significant milestone in the service’s modernization efforts. Following the recent approval of the Milestone B decision, the Bell V-280 Valor, which emerged as the winner of the Army’s new helicopter competition in late 2022, will now advance into the Engineering and Manufacturing Development (EMD) phase.
This development comes after the cancellation of the Future Armed Reconnaissance Aircraft (FARA) program earlier this year, leaving FLRAA as the sole platform from the Future Vertical Lift (FVL) initiative to progress to the EMD phase. In a press release issued on August 2, 2024, the Army cited the successful FLRAA preliminary design review in April and a meeting of the Army Systems Acquisition Review Council (ASARC) in June as key factors in this decision.
The ASARC's thorough review encompassed various aspects, including FLRAA's affordability, technological viability, threat projections, and security. The council also evaluated engineering, manufacturing, sustainment, and cost risks, ultimately confirming that all potential sources of program risk had been adequately addressed for this phase. “This is an important step for FLRAA and demonstrates the Army’s commitment to our highest aviation modernization priority,” stated Douglas R. Bush, the Army's acquisition executive. “FLRAA will provide assault and MEDEVAC capabilities for the future Army, adding significantly increased speed, range, and endurance.”
The contract awarded to Bell in 2022 includes nine options, with the Milestone B decision allowing the Army to exercise the first option, which involves the detailed aircraft design and the construction of six prototype aircraft. The Army plans for the first FLRAA prototype to take flight in 2026, followed by Low-Rate Initial Production starting in 2028. The service aims to begin fielding the first tiltrotors by 2030, gradually replacing the venerable UH-60 Black Hawk. However, the FLRAA fleet will not replace the Black Hawks on a one-to-one basis, meaning the exact number of FLRAA aircraft remains undetermined.
The significance of this milestone is underscored by the Army’s description of the FLRAA contract as its largest helicopter procurement decision in the past 40 years. The award followed a fierce competition between the Bell V-280 Valor and the Sikorsky/Boeing Defiant X. Initiated in 2019 as part of the Future Vertical Lift initiative, the FLRAA program was designed to replace a portion of the Army’s assault and utility helicopter fleet, with the eventual goal of superseding the UH-60 Black Hawk, which has faithfully served the Army for over four decades.
The FLRAA program promises to revolutionize the battlefield by extending the reach of air assault missions and enabling ground forces to operate over extended distances through decentralized operations. The Army’s requirements for FLRAA include the ability to travel approximately 2,440 nautical miles without refueling, as well as the agility to maneuver troops safely into dangerous environments. “FLRAA will provide transformational capability for ground forces and aircrews with speed, range, and surprise to present multiple dilemmas to the enemy,” the Army emphasized. In an era where operating quickly, unpredictably, and from greater distances has proven vital, the FLRAA is designed to excel.
The Bell V-280 Valor, the selected aircraft, has a rich developmental history. Initially developed and tested as part of the Joint Multi-Role Technology Demonstrator (JMR TD) program that began in 2013, the V-280 progressed through a rigorous design, manufacturing, and flight testing process. By the time Bell retired its flight demonstrator in June 2021, the V-280 had accumulated over 214 flight hours, demonstrating its low-speed agility, long-range cruise capabilities, and a maximum cruising speed of 305 knots. Feedback from five Army experimental test pilots and other operational personnel played a crucial role in refining the aircraft’s design.
During a media roundtable in 2022, Bell highlighted the V-280’s tiltrotor technology as a game-changer for the Army, particularly in long-distance operations such as those anticipated in the Pacific region. This technology, considered a leap ahead, will provide the Army with new opportunities to gain a competitive advantage in multidomain operations.
Bell describes the V-280 as a third-generation tiltrotor, building on the legacy of the second-generation Bell-Boeing V-22. A key difference in the V-280’s design is its fixed engine nacelle, in contrast to the V-22’s tilting nacelles. Bell asserts that this design choice will reduce manufacturing costs while improving performance, maintainability, and sustainability.
The V-280 Valor is not tailored for a specific theater but is designed around principles of reach, survivability, speed, and the convergence of effects. Bell also asserts that the Valor will be capable of performing all the mission sets currently handled by the Black Hawk, using the same infrastructure, including sling loading and urban operations.
As the FLRAA program progresses, the Army is poised to receive a truly transformational aircraft, one that will redefine its aviation capabilities for decades to come.
This week in aviation history
12 August 1960: Edwards Air Force Base in California, Major Robert M. White made aviation history by flying the North American Aviation X-15 experimental jet to an astounding altitude of 136,500 feet (41,605 meters). This achievement surpassed the previous unofficial record of 126,200 feet (38,466 meters) set by Captain Iven C. Kincheloe, Jr., in the Bell X-2 on September 7, 1956.
Iven Kincheloe, a highly skilled and respected pilot, had been the U.S. Air Force's designated project pilot for the X-15 program. Tragically, Kincheloe lost his life in a routine flight before he could take the X-15 to its limits. Following this loss, Major Bob White was chosen to step into Kincheloe’s role, a task that would place him at the forefront of one of the most ambitious aerospace programs of the era.
The August 12 flight marked White’s fourth time piloting the X-15 and was the 19th mission of the X-15 program. The rocket plane, designated as the Number 1 aircraft with serial number 56-6670, was carried to its launch altitude under the right wing of the Boeing NB-52A Stratofortress, a specially modified bomber serving as the "mothership." At precisely 08:48:43 a.m. PDT, the X-15 was released over Silver Lake, near the Nevada-California border.
Upon release, White ignited the two Reaction Motors XLR11-RM-13 rocket engines, which burned for 256.2 seconds, propelling the X-15 to an incredible speed of Mach 2.52 (1,773 miles per hour or 2,853 kilometers per hour) and a near-vertical climb angle of 70 degrees. The flight was part of Phase II of the X-15 program, which aimed to methodically push the boundaries of the aircraft's performance with the XLR11 engines while awaiting the more powerful XLR99 engine. The primary objective of this particular mission was to achieve maximum altitude, allowing engineers and pilots to test the rocket plane’s stability and control in the near-vacuum conditions above the atmosphere.
After reaching its peak altitude, White expertly guided the X-15 back down to Earth, gliding to a smooth landing on the vast expanse of Rogers Dry Lake. The entire flight lasted 11 minutes and 39.1 seconds, a brief yet monumental journey that contributed invaluable data to the program.
It is important to note that neither Kincheloe’s nor White’s altitudes were officially recognized as records by the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI), the organization responsible for certifying aerospace records. However, this flight was just the beginning for the X-15. Over the coming years, the rocket plane would push the boundaries of altitude even further, eventually reaching altitudes nearly three times higher than White’s achievement on that August day.
The X-15 program remains one of the most significant milestones in the history of aerospace exploration, laying the groundwork for future manned spaceflight and contributing to our understanding of high-speed, high-altitude flight.
In case you missed it
More on the X-15:
Photo Outlet
The US Air Force F-16 “Viper” Demonstration team has a new paint scheme that reflects the first F-16 to take to the skies 50 years ago, this was last years scheme which I quite enjoyed, I’m looking forward to getting pics of - the new livery stay tuned!
Post Flight Debrief
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-Tog