All About Bell’s V-280 Valor: Future Replacement for US Military Blackhawks – Part 3

A triple digital flight control system ensures stability

Unlike the V-22’s H-tail, the V-280 uses a V-tail to increase maneuverability. The complexity of the stability system is addressed by implementing a triple digital flight control system called fly-by-wire (FBW) to ensure flight stability. Additionally, using carbon fiber-based materials in the wings reduced weight and cost.

Of course, there are drawbacks. Unlike the V-22, which was designed to be a carrier-based aircraft with foldable wings and rotors, the V-280 has a fixed design with a more extended range than the V-22, making it noticeably broader and taller due to the rotor gearbox’s movement. This requires a larger parking space, which is a significant disadvantage compared to the UH-60 it is intended to replace.

The V-280 uses an evolved tiltrotor method that addresses the drawbacks of the V-22 Osprey. While the V-22 rotates the entire engine and rotor axis, the V-280 keeps the engine stationary and only rotates the rotor axis 90 degrees, increasing safety during takeoff and landing.

The V-280 is also improved to spin all rotors using the opposite engine even if one engine is hit and stops, with a body and the center of a wing connected by a drive shaft. The V-280 prototype was produced for a budget of $232 million over a year and six months for test flights. Starting this year, it will begin test flights, and if it meets all the military’s requirements, it will enter the production phase and be delivered to the U.S. military in the 2030s.

However, it’s worth noting that the U.S. plans to replace over 2,300 UH-60 series helicopters with the V-280 from 2030. They also plan to replace the AH-64 series attack helicopters with an armed model based on the V-280. For this, the U.S. has set a target price of $43 million for the V-280 production unit. Considering that the V-280 will replace the UH-1, UH-60, and AH-64 series, the total project size is expected to reach hundreds of billions.

Korea needs to participate in the helicopter revolution actively

Given the project’s large scale, both the U.S. government and the manufacturers are seeking overseas partners. Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) joined the project in 2016 and supplied significant parts for the V-280. European and Japanese companies are also pushing to participate in the project. There are also arguments that the South Korean military should introduce the V-280 as a future air mobility platform in preparation for future wars.

Korean military could also carry out a Blackhawk replacement project around the same time, so it would be killing two birds with one stone to participate in developing and producing the V-280 in the U.S., gaining both investment and technology. The fact that Korea’s technical capabilities have reached a level that the U.S. cannot ignore is also significant. For reference, Korea also developed a tiltrotor unmanned aerial vehicle in 2008, becoming the second country in the world to possess the relevant technology. In 2010, it was reported that a full-size tiltrotor aircraft was developed.

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