Bell Helicopter, Northrop Grumman successfully test Fire-X unmanned vertical system
Bell Helicopter, a Textron Inc. company and Northrop Grumman Corporation announce the successful test of Fire-X, a new vertical unmanned system.
Development and demonstration of Fire-X is funded by Northrop Grumman and Bell Helicopter. Both companies began work on this program in early 2010 and completed its first fully autonomous flight at Yuma Proving Ground, Ariz., less than a year after development began on the project.
"We are thrilled with the progress we have made on the Fire-X program," said Dr Cathy Ferrie, Director of Bell Helicopter's Xworx. "From initial concept, to flying a prototype was extremely quick due in large part to how well the Northrop Grumman-Bell Helicopter team worked together."
To get to the first unmanned flight, the team followed a strict timeline to "power on" the vehicle in September at Bell's Xworx facility in Fort Worth, Texas. Modifications were then accomplished to convert the Bell 407 helicopter into an unmanned vehicle.
Additional flight tests and reliability data gathering will be conducted next week along with a series of limited internal cargo demonstrations. Integration and flight of intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) sensor payloads and cargo carrying capability demonstrations are planned next year.
"The expertise of Northrop Grumman in unmanned systems combined with Bell's rotorcraft knowledge is what makes Fire-X so successful," said George Spongberg, Northrop Grumman Fire-X program manager. "We've been able to share key insights throughout development - allowing a seamless transition of autonomous flight systems software to a new airframe." The Fire-X system integrates the mature systems developed from the US Navy's MQ-8B Fire Scout program with the Bell 407 helicopter, a FAA-certified helicopter that's been in commercial service since 1996.
The system is designed to carry ISR sensors and offer military users with a useful load of more than 3,200 pounds - for fuel, payloads and/or enhanced cargo hauling capabilities. Fire-X will be able to conduct ISR missions up to 16 hours long and various cargo missions in support of US Marine Corps requirements.
"The first flight of the Fire-X demonstrator marks a milestone for the Bell - Northrop team," said Charles Shepard, Manager, Technology Business Development for Bell Helicopter. "In a matter of a few months, we went from two separate flyable systems, to an integrated system that will be able to provide our customers with a flexible, low cost, rapidly adaptable unmanned rotorcraft for multi-cargo, multi-sensor and multi-use from a ship and from land."
A piloted ferry flight to Yuma was completed Nov. 30 to position the aircraft for its first unmanned flight. The Fire-X demonstration aircraft will still retain the ability to be optionally piloted.
Source: Bell Helicopter
More from Uncrewed Vehicles
-
Red Cat looks to partnerships to expand Teal 2’s wings
Teal 2 UAV producer Red Cat has unveiled its strategic partnerships and advancements in drone technology in anticipation of the US Army’s decision on the Short-Range Reconnaissance (SRR) programme.
-
How Russia is ramping up efforts to counter drones in Ukraine
Russian forces in Ukraine have been employing multifaceted strategies to counteract drones, as a past reliance on large-scale electronic warfare has shifted towards diverse, localised countermeasures.
-
US Navy foresees an uncrewed future for its surface and underwater fleet
The service has been conducting various procurement and development efforts to integrate unmanned surface and underwater vehicles into its inventory.
-
Tekever unveils new swarm-controlling UAS
Tekever has manufactured the AR3, AR4 and AR5 UAS with all systems sharing common electronics and software architecture, which has enabled the reuse of ground segment elements within the new ARX UAS.
-
Ready for the race: Air separation drone swarms vs. air defence systems
As the dynamics of aerial combat rapidly evolve, Chinese scientists have engineered a sophisticated air separation drone model that can fragment into up to six drones, each capable of executing distinct battlefield roles and challenging the efficacy of current anti-drone defences such as the UK’s Dragonfire laser system.