{"id":43571,"date":"2019-10-02T09:00:26","date_gmt":"2019-10-02T09:00:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/uncategorized\/2019\/10\/02\/bell-unshrouds-invictus-its-answer-for-the-us-armys-future-attack-recon-aircraft\/"},"modified":"2026-08-07T23:27:44","modified_gmt":"2026-08-07T23:27:44","slug":"bell-unshrouds-invictus-its-answer-for-the-us-armys-future-attack-recon-aircraft","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/land\/2019\/10\/02\/bell-unshrouds-invictus-its-answer-for-the-us-armys-future-attack-recon-aircraft\/","title":{"rendered":"Bell unshrouds Invictus, its answer for the US Army\u2019s future attack recon aircraft"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

WASHINGTON \u2014 Bell has pulled the shroud off its Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft (FARA) <\/a>design for the Army after keeping it under wraps as a competition for a chance to build prototypes heats up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Several teams selected to develop FARA designs have been vocal and open about designs, but Bell \u2014 which has been flying its V-280 Valor tiltrotor helicopter<\/a> for nearly two years as part of an Army demonstration to inform the requirements for a long-range assault aircraft<\/a> \u2014 let the suspense build in this case.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The only hint of its plans came from the CEO of Textron, Bell\u2019s parent company, who said during an earnings call that the FARA design would be based on its 525 technology rather than its tiltrotor design like the V-280.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The company revealed Oct. 1 at its Arlington, Virginia, office the Bell 360 Invictus, which is based on 525 technology, but with several key differences, including its size in order to adhere to the Army requirement of 40-foot in diameter rotor blades.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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An artist rendering of the Bell 360 Invictus, the company’s design for the Army’s Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft (FARA). Bell is competing to build a prototype for the service and plans to fly the aircraft in 2022. (Photo courtesy of Bell)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The 525 Relentless is a commercial helicopter that is larger than the Invictus design and, according to Bell, has hit speeds over 200 knots in tests. The plan is for Invictus to more than meet the Army\u2019s speed requirement of 180 knots.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bell plans to unveil a full-scale mockup of the aircraft at the Association of the U.S. Army\u2019s annual show beginning Oct. 14, but showed reporters a video depicting the aircraft\u2019s capability to fly through dense urban terrain, ripping around skyscrapers and hovering over busy city streets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBell is absolutely committed to providing the United States Army with the most affordable, most sustainable, lowest risk, least complex solution for FARA while meeting all the requirements,\u201d Keith Flail, the company\u2019s vice president for advanced vertical lift systems, said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The design features a single main rotor helicopter in a four-blade configuration, a low-drag tandem cockpit fuselage and transportability in a C-17.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One of the major key technologies derived from the 525 program is high-speed rotor blades, but the 525 has five blades as opposed to the Invictus\u2019 shorter four. Much of the manufacturing techniques to build the smaller blades will carry over from the 525 program as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The helicopter will be powered by the Army\u2019s Improved Turbine Engine Program (ITEP) engine<\/a>, which is being developed and built by General Electric.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Additionally, the aircraft has a supplemental power unit that engages with the drive system to provide additional horsepower \u201cwhen required to give us that extra power and speed that we need,\u201d Flail said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Invictus has lift-sharing wings that will, once the aircraft reaches 180 knots, offload roughly 50 percent of the work to lift the aircraft, he added, and it has an active horizontal stabilizer at the tail.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The helicopter features a ducted\/canted tail rotor as well. \u201cBy doing that, we get a couple of benefits both in high speed flight and, in hover, we get additional lift for the aircraft,\u201d Flail said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The design incorporates an integrated munitions launcher that keeps armaments inside the aircraft to eliminate drag in high speeds. The launcher can \u201cactuate the weapons out\u201d when an engagement is needed, Flail said. The landing gear is also retracted to eliminate drag, he added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The aircraft is outfitted with a 20mm gun and has the ability to carry fires, rockets and air-launched effects<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\t