Bell Helicopter recently unveiled its new design for an autonomous tiltrotor, the V-247 Vigilant, which will have a 65-foot wingspan and will be capable of carrying a payload of up to 6.5 tons of fuel, armament and sensors. The aircraft, designed for military use, will be able to operate from land or sea, and will be ready to deploy as soon as 2023, according to Bell. The Vigilant will travel at speeds up to 300 knots and can operate within a 250-nm radius. The unmanned, single-engine craft also can hover on station for up to 11 hours, and can be refueled air-to-air. Mitch Snyder, CEO at Bell, called it "the next leap in innovation." Bell executives showed a model, renderings and video last week at the National Press Club, in Washington, D.C.
This is a companion discussion topic for the original entry at https://www.avweb.com/recent-updates/business-military/bell-unveils-unmanned-tiltrotor