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.