Rotorcraft
Sikorsky-Boeing Defiant Busts 200 Knots
The compound Sikorsky-Boeing SB-1 Defiant helicopter broke the 200-knot speed barrier earlier this month.

The compound Sikorsky-Boeing SB-1 Defiant helicopter broke the 200-knot speed barrier earlier this month at Sikorsky's flight test center in West Palm Beach, Florida, achieving a forward speed of 205 knots. A Sikorsky spokesman said the aircraft, one of two finalists for the Army’s future long-range assault aircraft (FLRAA) program, should reach its target speed of 250 knots within the next few months. Because the aircraft used less than 50 percent of its propulsor power, the development team expressed confidence that the aircraft could reach—and perhaps exceed—that goal.  


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