Bell’s High-Speed Vertical Take-off and Landing Hits a Milestone

The company staged a successful demonstration of folding rotor technology and digital flight control systems.

Wednesday, February 23, 2022 at 07:10 PM ET

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The HSVTOL is designed to enhance rotor wing aircraft with the speed, range and survivability of jet aircraft. [Photo: Bell Flight]

Key Takeaways:

Bell Textron achieved a significant milestone by successfully demonstrating its high-speed vertical takeoff and landing (HSVTOL) concept's folding rotor technology and digital flight control systems.
This demonstration advanced the HSVTOL technology to a readiness level (TRL) of 4, with plans to reach TRL 5 through an integrated demonstration in 2022.
The HSVTOL system aims to combine the hover capabilities of a helicopter with jet-like speeds exceeding 400 knots for various missions, including reconnaissance and tactical mobility.
Bell is one of the companies participating in the AFWERX HSVTOL Concept Challenge, a crowdsourcing effort for the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Special Operations Command.

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Bell Textron (NYSE: TXT) announced Wednesday that its high-speed vertical takeoff and landing (HSVTOL) concept hit a milestone in testing this past December with a full-scale demonstration of its folding rotor technology and digital flight control systems.

“This milestone, advanced Bell’s HSVTOL technology to a technology readiness level (TRL) of 4 in 2021, and our 2022 development plan has us rapidly progressing to TRL 5 with an integrated demonstration—one step closer to flight,” said Jeff Nissen, senior manager of Advanced Technology and the HSVTOL program manager at Bell.