Bell V-247 armed Tiltrotor drone for the Marines

[fightingirish]

Bell V-247 (or X-247), a new armed tiltrotor drone proposal for the USMC.

[...]For now, Bell is calling this previously unrevealed tiltrotor the V-247, the numbers standing for the duration the Marines want one or more to be able to stay on station – 24/7. Bell plans to officially reveal the new concept at a Washington news event next month. Larger models of the V-247 are likely to appear at the Sept. 27-30 Modern Day Marine exposition at Quantico Marine Base, Va., and at the Association of the United States Army’s annual conference that begins Oct. 3 in Washington.[...]

Source: http://breakingdefense.com/2016/08/meet-bells-x-247-armed-tiltoror-drone-for-marines/

 

[Flyaway]

PENTAGON: A sleek little model sits on the desk of Lt. Gen. Jon “Dog” Davis, Marine deputy commandant for aviation. What is that, we asked? The next tiltrotor Bell Helicopter Textron hopes the Marine Corps will buy. But it’s not the V-280 Valor, the new manned tiltrotor Bell plans to fly next year. It’s an unmanned tiltrotor designed to give the Marines a drone that can do everything the Air Force’s armed MQ-9 Reaper does – and more. Especially taking off and landing from ships or from land where there’s no runway.

“I think there is a big need for a UAS that can go aboard the sea base,” Davis told me in an interview last week. “General Neller says he doesn’t need a Reaper, but he needs a Reaper-like capability that can go from the sea base.” Gen. Robert Neller is the Marine Corps commandant.

“This is what Bell is proposing,” Davis says, placing the model of Bell’s new concept on the table. “Single engine. It looks a lot like a V-280, doesn’t it?”

http://breakingdefense.com/2016/08/meet-bells-x-247-armed-tiltoror-drone-for-marines/

 

[fightingirish]

Posted before!
Link: http://www.secretprojects.co.uk/forum/index.php/topic,1885.msg288842.html#msg288842


... and merged

 

[Moose]

So a centrally mounted turbine and electric motors in the rotor pods, or a mechanical drivetrain out to the pods? Either way, Interesting

 

[yasotay]

So a centrally mounted turbine and electric motors in the rotor pods, or a mechanical drivetrain out to the pods? Either way, Interesting

I would suspect that Bell is sticking to mechanical linkages as they appear to be a relatively conservative design outfit. Would be exciting to see them take a step on the wild side.

 

[fightingirish]

The Bell V-247 Vigilant tiltrotor UAS has been unveiled today. B)
Links:
https://twitter.com/YasminTadjdeh/
https://twitter.com/PressClubDC/status/778943171178983424?s=09
https://twitter.com/TheWoracle/status/778942243424133120?s=09
Edit:
More info and attached pictures here:
https://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/bell-unveils-v-247-vigilant-unmanned-tiltrotor-429616/
http://www.verticalmag.com/press-releases/bell-helicopter-introduces-bell-v-247-vigilant-tiltrotor/

 

[CammNut]

The V-247 has the same proprotor design as the V-22 and V-280 - gimbaled head with swashplate control

The big difference from the V-280 is the single engine is in the fuselage and drives the rotors via a main gearbox in the center of the wing and shafts that run through the wing to the nacelles. The outer wing sections tilt with the nacelles.

In the V-280, the engines are in fixed nacelles at the tips of the wings and only the gearboxes and proprotors tilt. But both avoid the V-22's problem of tilting the entire drive train. Like the V-22's proprotors, the V-280's are cross-shafted.

 

[CammNut]

Also, re "armed" - it is, as you would expect, billed as multirole. The V-247 has two side bays and one underfuselage. The side bays can carry fuel, sonobuoys, lidar sensor, or two Hellfire or JAGM missiles. The underfuselage bay can carry a Mk50 torpedo, AIM-9X missile, 360-deg-scan surveillance radar or more fuel.

With a gross weight of 29,500lb, the V-247 can carry 13,000lb of fuel, sensors and/or weapons. It is a big aircraft - 65ft wingspan and 30ft-diameter rotors. The V-280 is not that much heavier at 35,000lb. Bell's proposal for the Army's FVL Capability Set 1 armed scout is also an unmanned tiltrotor, it turns out.

 

[VTOLicious]

"The big difference from the V-280 is the single engine is in the fuselage and drives the rotors via a main gearbox in the center of the wing and shafts that run through the wing to the nacelles. The outer wing sections tilt with the nacelles."

...folding wing with mid-mounted engine?

 

[TomS]

Bell says "blade fold, wing stow." Judging from the illustrations, I suspect the wing rotates to lie parallel with the fuselage like the V-22. The dihedral wing segments outboard of the rotor nacelles probably would fold up and in to reduce length overall. To fit in a DDG-51 hangar, it has to get down to roughly 41 feet length folded.

Edit: Confirmed.

http://breakingdefense.com/2016/09/month-after-us-bell-unveils-v-247-vigilant-tiltrotor-drone/

The V-247 will be sized to fit on the deck of a guided missile destroyer, Tobin said. By folding its rotor blades and stowing its wing by swiveling it across the top of the fuselage lengthwise, it could fit inside a DDG’s helicopter hangar. On a stand to Tobin’s left as he spoke stood a big 1/8th scale model of the V-247 – far larger than the one we saw on Lt. Gen. Davis’s desk last month – automated to fold its rotor blades and stow its wing to demonstrate shipboard storage. Bell is expected to display the model at the Sept. 27-30 Modern Day Marine exposition at Quantico Marine Base, and at the Association of the United States Army’s annual meetings Oct. 3-5 in Washington.

 

[fightingirish]

The model of the Bell Helicopter V-247 shows how the wing rotates and folds its rotor blades.
Link: https://twitter.com/YasminTadjdeh/status/778944178071937025

 

[flateric]

...

 

[CammNut]

According to Tobin, the engine output drive goes up though the wing pivot to the main gearbox in the center wing. Obviously, therefore, the gearbox and drive shafts pivot with the wing while the engine stays fixed

 

[sferrin]

Also, re "armed" - it is, as you would expect, billed as multirole. The V-247 has two side bays and one underfuselage. The side bays can carry fuel, sonobuoys, lidar sensor, or two Hellfire or JAGM missiles. The underfuselage bay can carry a Mk50 torpedo, AIM-9X missile, 360-deg-scan surveillance radar or more fuel.

Seems pretty light for a 30,000lb aircraft. You'd think it could carry at least a pair of torpedoes.

 

[yasotay]

...

LOL, the Textron dream.

 

[Flyaway]

Bell Helicopter has unveiled a unmanned tiltrotor aircraft, the V-247 Vigilant, as it looks towards a future requirement from the US Marine Corps for a large, armed platform capable of operating from ships.

https://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/bell-unveils-v-247-vigilant-unmanned-tiltrotor-429616/

 

[TomS]

Big thread on this in Postwar Aircraft Projects.

http://www.secretprojects.co.uk/forum/index.php/topic,27830.msg290557.html#new

 

[marauder2048]

Bell says "blade fold, wing stow." Judging from the illustrations, I suspect the wing rotates to lie parallel with the fuselage like the V-22. The dihedral wing segments outboard of the rotor nacelles probably would fold up and in to reduce length overall. To fit in a DDG-51 hangar, it has to get down to roughly 41 feet length folded.

Edit: Confirmed.

http://breakingdefense.com/2016/09/month-after-us-bell-unveils-v-247-vigilant-tiltrotor-drone/

The V-247 will be sized to fit on the deck of a guided missile destroyer, Tobin said. By folding its rotor blades and stowing its wing by swiveling it across the top of the fuselage lengthwise, it could fit inside a DDG’s helicopter hangar. On a stand to Tobin’s left as he spoke stood a big 1/8th scale model of the V-247 – far larger than the one we saw on Lt. Gen. Davis’s desk last month – automated to fold its rotor blades and stow its wing to demonstrate shipboard storage. Bell is expected to display the model at the Sept. 27-30 Modern Day Marine exposition at Quantico Marine Base, and at the Association of the United States Army’s annual meetings Oct. 3-5 in Washington.

So was the V-247 Bell's DARPA TERN entry?

 

[Flyaway]

Big thread on this in Postwar Aircraft Projects.

http://www.secretprojects.co.uk/forum/index.php/topic,27830.msg290557.html#new

Could you explain why the thread is there?

 

[Grey Havoc]

Bell says "blade fold, wing stow." Judging from the illustrations, I suspect the wing rotates to lie parallel with the fuselage like the V-22. The dihedral wing segments outboard of the rotor nacelles probably would fold up and in to reduce length overall. To fit in a DDG-51 hangar, it has to get down to roughly 41 feet length folded.

Edit: Confirmed.

http://breakingdefense.com/2016/09/month-after-us-bell-unveils-v-247-vigilant-tiltrotor-drone/

The V-247 will be sized to fit on the deck of a guided missile destroyer, Tobin said. By folding its rotor blades and stowing its wing by swiveling it across the top of the fuselage lengthwise, it could fit inside a DDG’s helicopter hangar. On a stand to Tobin’s left as he spoke stood a big 1/8th scale model of the V-247 – far larger than the one we saw on Lt. Gen. Davis’s desk last month – automated to fold its rotor blades and stow its wing to demonstrate shipboard storage. Bell is expected to display the model at the Sept. 27-30 Modern Day Marine exposition at Quantico Marine Base, and at the Association of the United States Army’s annual meetings Oct. 3-5 in Washington.

So was the V-247 Bell's DARPA TERN entry?

I would think that there is likely to be a very close connection, at the very least.

 

[TomS]

Folks stated two threads last time the topic came up and they got merged to the Postwar Projects subforum. You'd have to ask a moderator why.

 

[Orionblamblam]

Big thread on this in Postwar Aircraft Projects.

http://www.secretprojects.co.uk/forum/index.php/topic,27830.msg290557.html#new

Could you explain why the thread is there?

Well, the V-247 is currently a "project," and "now" is currently "post-war." So, "post-war projects" sure sounds like the right place for it.

 

[yasotay]

Well I think this new aerospace project that was developed post WW2 should be put in the hypotheticals since it is nothing more than engineering programs and pretty picture.

 

[flateric]

Could you explain why the thread is there?

Basically, "Aerospace - Aerospace discussion on any topics you like - not unbuilt projects"
When project will move to prototype stage, will gain funding - it will probably be moved to Aerospace. It all depends, though.

 

[CammNut]

So was the V-247 Bell's DARPA TERN entry?

Bell says it did not bid for Tern. Also, Tobin says the V-247 is bigger than Tern. But the US Marine Corps aviation master plan uses Northrop's coaxial-rotor tailsitter Tern to illustrate the MUX - MAGTF Unmanned Expeditionary - capability that Bell is aiming at, so it represents the competition.

 

[fredymac]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WQiLFDzbbD8

 

[bobbymike]

http://breakingdefense.com/2016/12/marines-want-drone-mux-faster-for-v-22-escort/

 

[Hood]

https://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/marines-could-pair-fvl-with-unmanned-vtol-432315/

 

[VTOLicious]

Neat look...and lots of moving parts :

 

[Moose]

Well these are the compromises you have to make to fit on a warship. Or you go the TERN route.

 

[bobbymike]

http://www.naval-technology.com/projects/bell-v-247-vigilant-tilt-rotor-unmanned-aircraft-system

 

[Triton]

Source:
https://militarizm.dirty.ru/bell-v-247-vigilant-1195696/#&gid=1&pid=2

 

[fredymac]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tH7f_gHE65E

 

[fredymac]

Full scale mockups unveiled at Modern Day Marine expo.

 

[sferrin]

What are the smaller missiles on there? ???

 

[TomS]

What are the smaller missiles on there? ???

Textron's Fury miniature glide bombs

 

[turboshaft]

Visual sizing comparison, from Rotor & Wing International. Powerplant is a single AE 1107C; quite a change from the V-247's predecessor, the PW200/55-powered Eagle Eye.

 

[Moose]

Amazing to see it fitting in essentially the same space as an -8C Fire Scout.

 

[TomS]

Amazing to see it fitting in essentially the same space as an -8C Fire Scout.

The righthand aircraft is a UH-1Y. A fair bit bigger than a Fire Scout -8C

Edit: The target for MUX is to fit in the same footprint as a folded UH-1Y, which this seems to do, more or less. The folded dimensions for a UH-1Y are roughly 4m x 17.8m. For comparison, an MQ-8C with blades folded is 2.4m ×10.6m.

 

[TomcatViP]

Walk-around and close-up views: https://www.defensenews.com/928c09a1-9b87-4c08-944b-4cbb72ebf27d