Bell Textron has announced its advancement to the next phase of the AFWERX High-Speed Vertical Take-Off and Landing (HSVTOL) Concept Challenge, a crowdsourcing effort for the United States Air Force (USAF) and United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM). Bell is one of eleven companies selected to receive market research investments aimed at advancing solutions that enable optimal agility in austere environments.
According to the company, Bell’s HSVTOL vehicles blend the hover capability of a helicopter with the speed, range and survivability features of fighter aircraft. This family of scalable aircraft concepts is designed to support a range of missions, including personnel recovery, autonomous ISR/strike, and tactical mobility, with low downwash hover capability and jet-like speeds of more than 400 kts.
Bell’s concepts are envisioned as part of a broader HSVTOL mission system framework that provides the next generation of speed, range, and survivability. These concepts are to provide the flexibility to carry out USAF and USSOCOM missions across the full spectrum of conflict and political scenarios.
JH
