High-Speed Sled Runs Taking Place At Holloman Air Force Base

Bell showcases High-Speed Vertical Takeoff and Landing (HSVTOL) technology capabilities upon completion of testing efforts at Holloman Air Force Base. The team has utilized the Holloman High-Speed Test Track to demonstrate the folding rotor, integrated propulsion, and flight control technologies at representative flight speeds.

“The successful sled test completion is a culmination of Bell’s HSVTOL research and unprecedented technology development,” said Jason Hurst, Executive Vice President, Engineering. “The technology demonstration provides Bell with critical experience and knowledge that will inform our X-plane development for DARPA’s SPRINT program. It is a pivotal step in the creation next generation of high-speed vertical lift aircraft for future warfighters.”

The objective of Bell’s sled test operations was to validate key technologies through a full-scale, integrated demonstration in a representative operating environment. Bell plans for the test article included a series of HSVTOL high-speed transition maneuvers, a first-of-its-kind capability for vertical lift aircraft. Before delivery at Holloman Air Force Base, Bell successfully completed functional demonstrations at Bell’s Flight Research Center.

The SPRINT program intends to design, build, and fly an X-Plane, an experimental aircraft to demonstrate enabling technologies and integrated concepts necessary for a transformational combination of aircraft speed and runway independence for the next generation of air mobility platforms.

FMI: www.bellflight.com