WICHITA, Kan., Dec. 19, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The Spirit
AeroSystems (NYSE: SPR) built fuselage for the Bell V-280 lifted
off for the first time at Bell's
Amarillo, Texas, facility
Dec. 18.
"Spirit AeroSystems would like to congratulate Bell Helicopter
and Team Valor on achieving first flight of the V-280," said
Krisstie Kondrotis, senior vice
president of Spirit Defense. "Spirit is a proud member of Team
Valor, providing the entire fuselage for the V-280 Air Vehicle
Concept Demonstrator Competitive Prototype, and we look forward to
supporting Bell and the U.S. Army
to transform the future of vertical lift for all armed forces."
Spirit Defense designed and built the 47 foot long fuselage in
just 22 months at the company's Rapid Prototype facility in
Wichita, Kansas. The 47 foot long
fuselage is comprised of aluminum sub-structure with composite
skins.
The Bell V-280 Valor program is part of the Joint Multi Role
Technology Demonstrator (JMR-TD) initiative. The JMR-TD program is
the science and technology precursor to the Department of Defense's
Future Vertical Lift Program. Spirit is a member of Team Valor,
comprised of 12 companies that bring the best of industry resources
to the team.
Downloadable images of the first flight are available from
Textron, Inc. here.
You can watch Spirit's timelapse build of the fuselage here.
On the web: www.spiritaero.com/support-services
On Twitter: @SpiritAero
About Spirit AeroSystems
Spirit AeroSystems designs and builds aerostructures for both
commercial and defense customers. With headquarters
in Wichita, Kansas, Spirit
operates sites in the U.S.,
U.K., France and Malaysia. The company's core
products include fuselages, pylons, nacelles and wing components
for the world's premier aircraft. Spirit AeroSystems focuses
on affordable, innovative composite and aluminum
manufacturing solutions to support customers around the globe. More
information is available at www.spiritaero.com.
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SOURCE Spirit AeroSystems