JMR (Joint Multi-Role) & FVL (Future Vertical Lift) Programs

[seruriermarshal]

FARA first look #1 - @Sikorsky Raider-X proposal for @usarmy Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft - 20% larger than S-97 Raider, side-by-side cockpit, large internal weapons bay, single @geaviation T901, redesigned rear fuselage

 

[TomS]

To reach 180-205 kt in level flight is not an easy task with a conventional helicopter, but indeed feasible (G-LYNX).
However, to demonstrate that speed with an experimental aircraft is one thing. But to deliver an operational helicopter capable of 180 kt cruise speed is something very different. In the end fuel burn at given cruise speed may be an important factor.

Range at speed is probably also the main driver for internal weapon carriage, for reduced drag.

 

[TomS]

FARA first look #1 - @Sikorsky Raider-X proposal for @usarmy Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft - 20% larger than S-97 Raider, side-by-side cockpit, large internal weapons bay, single @geaviation T901, redesigned rear fuselage

The chine along the forward fuselage seems to be making a nod toward RCS management, but nothing with a big spinny thing on top is going to be too stealthy.

Also, they're not showing the gun required for FARA. Perhaps it stows somewhere, again for drag reduction?

 

[bring_it_on]

To reach 180-205 kt in level flight is not an easy task with a conventional helicopter, but indeed feasible (G-LYNX).
However, to demonstrate that speed with an experimental aircraft is one thing. But to deliver an operational helicopter capable of 180 kt cruise speed is something very different. In the end fuel burn at given cruise speed may be an important factor.

The requirement is 185 Kt or better at mission gross weight which the Army would have shared with the interested parties. As you said, flying a prototype at those speeds is one thing, but the OEM's have to convince the Army that their designs are capable of cruising at those speeds in the configurations the Army mandates while also meeting other requirements.

 

[seruriermarshal]

FARA first look #2 - @karem AR40 active-rotor winged compound - electric individual blade control, swiveling tail-rotor becomes propulsor, speed 210kt+, partners @northropgrumman for production and support, @raytheon for mission system

 

[yasotay]

I am going out on a limb that Boeing will likely be rather conventional in their offering. Have not seen any significant innovation out of them in a long time when it comes to rotorcraft.

 

[Sferrin]

FARA first look #2 - @karem AR40 active-rotor winged compound - electric individual blade control, swiveling tail-rotor becomes propulsor, speed 210kt+, partners @northropgrumman for production and support, @raytheon for mission system

That looks like a whale.

 

[seruriermarshal]

Bell 360 Invictus

 

[seruriermarshal]

More Bell 360 Invictus

 

[seruriermarshal]

AVXAircraft And L3HarrisTech FARA

 

[fredymac]

I'd like to see a comparison in top speed, high speed vibration loads, required horsepower, and range between a close coupled rigid coaxial vs a compound wing.

 

[VTOLicious]

FARA first look #2 - @karem AR40 active-rotor winged compound - electric individual blade control, swiveling tail-rotor becomes propulsor, speed 210kt+, partners @northropgrumman for production and support, @raytheon for mission system

Karem, always good for a surprise!

 

[AN/AWW-14(V)]

Manufacturer Boeing is continuing to shroud its US Army Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft (FARA) proposal in secrecy, on grounds that any other strategy would risk giving up commercially sensitive design specifications and associated technology to another competitor.

Despite all other industry participants having made their offers and designs public, Boeing has consistently taken a different approach and ahead of a downselect decision in March 2020, when the field will be cut to two for a final design and build stage, it remains unclear if the OEM will eventually unveil the aircraft in question.

Boeing's prototyping subsidiary Phantom Works is heavily involved in the campaign, on hand to support rapid prototyping and technology maturation for the FARA platform.

'We are typically involved when there's a clean sheet opportunity, a brand new requirement or a combination of requirements coming together that necessitate a new capability,' Mark Cherry, VP, general manager of Phantom Works said.

The organisation is also capable of developing digital designs at speed, in order to reduce production time frames, he made clear.

Like all other competitors, Boeing's design has already met a host of mandatory items including a minimum cruise airspeed of 180kt, maximum 40ft rotor disc criteria, max gross weight of 14,000lb (6,350kg), and is 'acutely focused' on other key items such as sustainment strartegies, data reliabilty, affordability and maintainability, according to Shane Openshaw, FARA programme manager at Boeing.

Aside from those general areas, it remains unclear exactly how Boeing is investing its FARA funding of $772 million, underwritten by an Other Transaction Authority contract and awarded by the US Army in April.

'At this point I can't [talk about how the money is being spent],' Openshaw said, though did clarify that some had been used to fund initial design review risk reduction activities.

During AUSA competitor Sikorsky released a rendering of its FARA proposal - Raider X - a variation of its in-development S-97 Raider and for which it has been given $938 million.

AUSA 2019: Boeing sticks to FARA vow of silence | Shephard

Manufacturer Boeing is continuing to shroud its US Army Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft (FARA) proposal in secrecy, on grounds that any other strategy would risk …

www.shephardmedia.com

 

[bobbymike]

eBrief: The “Knife Fighter” of Army Aviation - Breaking Defense

The Army seeks a next-generation armed scout helicopter with increased speed, range, survivability and even autonomy - not just a conventional helicopter.

breakingdefense.com

 

[fredymac]

They don't seem to be rushing in their SB-1 test flights.

 

[fredymac]

SB-1 with mast fairing

 

[yasotay]

https://www.shephardmedia.com/news/defence-helicopter/ausa-2019-defiant-delays-return-haunt-sb1/

Why they are slow. More challenges.

 

[TomcatViP]

Great read.

 

[donnage99]

I am going out on a limb that Boeing will likely be rather conventional in their offering. Have not seen any significant innovation out of them in a long time when it comes to rotorcraft.

but they are keeping quite about their bid so that's sort of strange. It's certainly not the type of program that you want to throw in fancy tech that you don't have any hardware to show for.

 

[AeroFranz]

FARA first look #2 - @karem AR40 active-rotor winged compound - electric individual blade control, swiveling tail-rotor becomes propulsor, speed 210kt+, partners @northropgrumman for production and support, @raytheon for mission system

That looks like a whale.

I tend to agree. Odd, Karem usually has an eye for aesthetics.

 

[Sundog]

I actually like the Karem submission the best, so far, as it looks the cleanest of all of the designs. I also like their tail rotor design solution. The Raider X looks more like a flying boat, the AVX like a flying shoe box, and while the Bell submission is interesting to look at, it reminds me of everything we've seen before, with the exception of the asymmetric single engine.

 

[seruriermarshal]

so who'll win the FARA ?

1 Sikorsky Raider-X
2 Bell 360 Invictus
3 Karem AR40
4 AVX Aircraft CCH
5 Boeing
6 No one

 

[lantinian]

I actually like the Karem submission the best, so far, as it looks the cleanest of all of the designs. I also like their tail rotor design solution.

My exact thought too. I am now only wondering why they went 3 blades on the rotor. Is it possible that the rotor stops during high speed cruise?

 

[VTOLicious]

FARA first look #2 - @karem AR40 active-rotor winged compound - electric individual blade control, swiveling tail-rotor becomes propulsor, speed 210kt+, partners @northropgrumman for production and support, @raytheon for mission system

Another pic... I like the compactness of this concept.

 

[lantinian]

I am starting to like Karen’s design a lot.

 

[lantinian]

Karem unveils FARA design for US Army
“The wing can provide the majority of the aircraft’s lift and tilts upwards during the helicopter’s descent or ascent in order to make its vertical flight more aerodynamic.”

 

[Sferrin]

so who'll win the FARA ?

1 Sikorsky Raider-X
2 Bell 360 Invictus
3 Karem AR40
4 AVX Aircraft CCH
5 Boeing
6 No one

1 or 2, And whichever one gets picked will look WAY more vanilla than their concepts.

 

[Sferrin]

I am starting to like Karen’s design a lot.View attachment 620220

Looks like a flying submarine.

 

[VTOLicious]

so who'll win the FARA ?

1 Sikorsky Raider-X
2 Bell 360 Invictus
3 Karem AR40
4 AVX Aircraft CCH
5 Boeing
6 No one

I would like to see a fly-off between 1 and 3. Very unlikely however.

 

[yasotay]

Looking at the picture from VTOLicious, the rotor blades for the Karem FARA are very wide chord and a pretty complex design. Wonder if they plan to slow the rotor system at higher speeds?

Two pictures from Vertical Flight Society shows the interesting rotor blades, where the wing folds and the tail rotor/thruster.

 

[Sferrin]

I am starting to like Karen’s design a lot.View attachment 620220

 

[Hydroman]

Army is apparently going for RAH-66 Comanche Part 2, hopefully this will fare better than Comanche, Army does not have good track record in procuring new helicopters.

 

[Desertfox]

so who'll win the FARA ?

1 Sikorsky Raider-X
2 Bell 360 Invictus
3 Karem AR40
4 AVX Aircraft CCH
5 Boeing
6 No one

My money is on Bell taking FARA and Sikorsky taking FVL. Bell seems to be the lowest risk design and they have plenty of experience in this realm.

 

[Moose]

Yeah I was just thinking it looked like a medium bomber with a rotor in place of piston engines.

Without knowing more about Boeing's entry it's hard to put anyone but Bell and Sikorsky in 1 and 2, maybe with some debate about which gets which spot. The Karen and AVX concepts are interesting and I'd love to seem either or both fly, but I don't see anything with either of them that clearly puts them ahead of the big teams.

 

[TomcatViP]

One point will be to assess if or not we will have a widening gap b/w tilt rotor platforms and 199ers.
The immediate quest to replace the 58 might simply lead to a short term procurement of a couple hundred of airframe and provision for a next Gen platform.

 

[VTOLicious]

Looking at those AR40 pics closely it appears the crew is spaced pretty far apart. The arrangement of windshield struts and wipers hint that as well... In comparison, Raider's fuselage is a lot narrower.

 

[seruriermarshal]

The U.S Army has selected GE’s T901 engine for the Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft (FARA) program. One of the helicopters competing to be the Army’s next-gen light attack solution is the Sikorsky Raider X. Learn more from test pilot Christiaan Corry.

The U.S Army has selected GE’s T901 engine for the Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft (FARA) program. One of the helicopters competing to be the Army’s next-gen light attack solution is the Sikorsky Raider X. Learn more from test pilot Christiaan Corry. #AUSA2019 pic.twitter.com/8KgJTxcpEu

— GE Aerospace (@GE_Aerospace) October 17, 2019

 

[yasotay]

Flight Global article on the Karem AR40

PICTURES: Karem unveils FARA design for US Army

Karem Aircraft has unveiled its Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft (FARA) design, as it pursues a development deal with the US Army.

www.flightglobal.com

 

[donnage99]

speed will be important since the army reduced its speed from original requirement to open up the competitions to more bids, which means the army does really want speeds exceed 200 kt. not just 180 kt.

 

[fredymac]

New V-280 video from Bell.