Randy Rotte

FVL: Sikorsky-Boeing Defiant Hits 235 MPH, Aims For 288

Despite COVID-19, the SB>1 Defiant team is testing furiously to catch up with archrival Bell’s V-280 tiltrotor, which has almost 10 times as many flight hours.

Boeing CH-47 Factory Isn’t Out Of The Woods

Congress stopped the US Army from cancelling advanced procurement, while Germany, Israel, and the UK are all potential purchasers – but none has signed a production contract yet.

Will Army Uncancel CH-47F Chinook Upgrade? Sec. Esper & Gen. McConville

The Army wants to keep its options open on upgrading its heaviest cargo helicopter. Boeing is worried the window of opportunity -- and its factory -- will close before the Army makes up its mind.

Baby Steps For Defiant As Army Accelerates FVL

The Sikorsky-Boeing super-copter has just over an hour of flight time, but the Army says it has all the data it needs to accelerate the program. How?

Future Vertical Lift: SB>1 Defiant Flight Delayed Until Early 2019

While Bell's rival V-280 uses tiltrotor technology, proven in widespread service on the V-22 Osprey since 2007, the Defiant uses Sikorsky's revolutionary compound helicopter technology, which promises superior agility -- but which has only actually flown in two experimental aircraft, the X2 and S-97 Raider, both of which are much smaller than Defiant.

SB>1 Defiant Will Be Worth The Wait: Sikorsky & Boeing

Sikorsky and Boeing are saying that their aircraft is taking longer than Bell's because their design is more inventive -- harder, riskier, and more time-consuming, yes, but ultimately better. In particular, while the SB>1 looks like it'll be a little slower than the V-280, going by the companies' projections for top speed, Sikorsky and Boeing say their machine will be much more maneuverable.