V-280 Valor Prototype Accomplishes Speed Milestone

Bell's tiltrotor prototype for the U.S. Army-led Future Vertical Lift program achieved its objective speed in a test last week, reports the manufacturer.

The V-280 Valor reached 280 knots true airspeed during a Jan. 23 flight test at a company facility in Arlington, Texas.

The achievement comes after 85 hours of flight testing over the past year.

Bell executive Carl Coffman said the V-280's sprint or dash speed "will probably be in excess of 280 knots," while acknowledging that the...