Bell V-280 Valor

First images of the first Bell V-280 Valor next-generation tilt-rotor Aircraft prototype
The V-280 Valor is Bell’s submission for the U.S. Army’s Joint Multi-Role Technology Demonstrator (JMR-TD) phase, the technology demonstration precursor to Future Vertical Lift (FVL), a replacement for the service’s Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk and Boeing AH-64 Apache helicopters.
To combine speed, range-and-payload, and operational agility. Designation indicates 280 kt (519 km/h; 322 mph) cruising speed. Clean-sheet design reduces complexity compared to previous two generations of tiltrotors, with fewer parts. Engines non-swivelling, although rotor pylons tilt for forward flight. It’s designed for a range of 2,100 nautical miles and an effective combat range of 500 to 800 nmi.
The V-280 will have a crew of 4 (including two pilots) and be capable of transporting up to 14 troops. In the light category, Bell offered a smaller, DDG-class ship-capable unmanned version as well one capable of carrying six to eight troops.
Featuring a triple-redundant flight-by-wire Flight Control System, retractable landing gear, a V-tail configuration and cutting edge avionics, the first prototype of the next generation helicopter is expected to perform its first flight in the next few months. The aircraft sporting the registration N280BH, was spotted at Bell Helicopter Amarillo Assembly Center where the Valor is probably being prepared for engine tests planned for Sept 2017.

The T64-GE-419 engines and gearboxes in the nacelles are clearly visible in the interesting images. Interestingly, unlike the V-22’s engines, that rotate with the gearboxes, in the V-280, the gearbox is the only thing that rotates. The Valor’s tilting gearbox design vastly simplifies the Osprey’s complex hydro-mechanical clockwork required for the tiltrotor action. Moreover, a driveshaft runs through the straight wing, allowing both prop rotors to be driven by a single engine in case of engine loss.