The V-280 would also be one of the fastest military helicopters in the world, with a cruising speed of 280 knots (approx. 322 mph). The Black Hawk’s cruising speed is 150 knots (170 mph).
“It carries the same payload twice as fast and has twice the range,” says Vince Tobin, vice president for advanced tiltrotor systems at Bell Helicopters. “If you put the same payload on a Black Hawk, you have to stop at half the distance, and while the Black Hawk was stopping for fuel, the V-280 would be landing at its destination.”
Popular Mechanics reports that the V-280 is scheduled for its first flight in September of 2017 and will eventually be evaluated against the Sikorsky/Boeing SB-1, which claims a top speed of 250 knots (287 mph).
