Sikorsky Aircraft and Boeing are jointly producing a medium-lift-sized demonstrator they named SB>1 Defiant also widely known as “SB-1” for phase one of the program. Sikorsky and Boeing state the design is to have a cruise speed of 250 kn (460 km/h), but less range due to using the “old” T55 engine.
source.image: Found And Explained
A new engine, the Future Affordable Turbine Engine (FATE), is to meet the radius requirement of 229 nmi. Compared to conventional helicopters, the counter-rotating coaxial main rotors and pusher propeller offer a 185-knot (213 mph; 343 km/h) speed increase, a 60% combat radius extension, and 50% better performance in high-hot hover operations.
Sikorsky has said that the X2 design is not suitable for heavy-lift size, and instead suggests the CH-53K for heavy-lift and tiltrotor for the ultra-class. However, Sikorsky plans to build the 30,000-pound-class (14,000 kg) JMR-TD (with a cabin 50% larger than the Black Hawk) at full scale to remove doubts about the scalability of the X-2 technology.
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Sikorsky–Boeing states the SB-1 will be quick and nimble, with fast acceleration and deceleration, fast side-to-side movement, and the capability to hover with the tail up and nose down.
