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TerraN_EmpirE

Tyrant King
Coaxial vertical lift heli - Raider and Defiant

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Defiant’s eight-bladed aft prop is the same diameter as a P-51 Mustang propeller and necessary to push the 30,000-pound aircraft to speeds above 200 knots. Unlike a conventional helicopter, none of Defiant’s tail section is flight critical. If the tail boom, which includes no hydraulics, took a direct hit and literally fell off, the aircraft would still be able to operate as a helicopter. All control surfaces aft of the engine outlet are controlled by electronic actuators.
Well that’s a kinda sorta argument.
Well it is true that the aircraft can still fly if the tail is disabled, it cannot fly at high speed.
Both Valor (Bell’s Tiltrotor) and Defiant have a transition phase where in they move from slower vertical flight mode using the Rotors to control the flight to a faster horizontal mode where conventional aerodynamic controls take over. In Defiant those controls are in the tail. In Valor they are in both the wings and tail. The critical difference is where that transition happens. Valor transitions sooner meaning that it has a much slower vertical mode speed but a much faster flight speed this is because it is a tiltrotor. Defiant transitions later in the flight envelope because the shift is less transformative and more one of operation. Shifting from Helicopter style control at the rotor to tail control. As such if the tail is disabled then the Defiant reverts to a conventional coaxial chopper and a much slower flight speed. Basically limping home.
Incidentally I posted a link to it in flight earlier today in the S97 Raider thread S97 Raider and JMR/FVL program News + Videos
 
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'time to put money where mouth is' problem perhaps, LOL ...
... and
The confusion and frustration coming from the committee today will probably grow sharper tomorrow, when acting Navy Secretary Thomas Modly, Navy chief Adm. Michael Gilday, and Marine Corps Commandant Gen. David Berger appears to explain what is happening with their once-touted modernization plans.
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Tetrach

Junior Member
Registered Member
Hey guys do you have any photos of USS Cowpens after its modernization? It's the first Rico to complete the program and I found no pictures of it.
 
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