The American SB>1 DEFIANT helicopter has successfully passed the most difficult flight test. Yesterday, January 19, the Boeing press service announced that a promising machine for the army's FLRAA program has completed testing.
The final stage of the tests was the task of fast deceleration from 236 knots and vertical landing on rough terrain among dense vegetation. The prototype SB>1 DEFIANT successfully coped with this task, and also demonstrated the ability to maneuver at low altitudes in a confined space.
The final stage of testing of the SB>1 DEFIANT helicopter
FLRAA is part of a larger Future Vertical Lift (FVL) program, under which several models of "jet" helicopters are planned to be purchased for the US army. The main competitor of the Defiant helicopter will be the Bell V-280 Valor tiltrotor.
SB>1 DEFIANT is a twin-screw helicopter with a coaxial arrangement of propellers and a pusher propeller in the tail section, thanks to which it will theoretically be able to reach speeds of over 250 knots (about 460 km/h). The weight of the car is 13.6 tons. The helicopter can carry 14 people, including two pilots.
