Bell reports MV-75 Cheyenne build milestones in Texas facilities

Bell Textron Inc. said Oct. 14 that work on the first MV-75 Cheyenne test aircraft has passed several milestones in recent months, with structural parts finished, gearbox testing under way and software integration advancing at its North Texas sites.

Nacelles and wing

The aircraft's first nacelle structures are complete and sitting at Bell's assembly center in Amarillo. Crews there have begun joining the nacelles to the wing. Bell said the result shows its digital engineering approach carrying the work from design and tooling through part production and final assembly.

Gearboxes go into testing

Bell also started testing the first gearboxes built for the test aircraft. Part of the drive system, they run the electrical generators, hydraulic pumps and cooling blowers for the engine and nacelle. Bell designs, builds and tests the gearboxes itself. Their gears and housings came out of the company's Manufacturing Technology Center in Fort Worth, and the assembled units were fitted with instruments and put on test in Bell's new MV-75 Drive System Test Lab in Grand Prairie, where construction started in 2023.

Software

In Arlington, at the Weapon Systems Integration Lab Bell opened two years ago, engineers are running the aircraft's flight control and general purpose computers, actuator drive units, electrical parts and large cockpit displays together on test benches. Bell said checking the software and systems there before the test aircraft flies lowers technical risk for the flight test program.

The company said the three milestones move the program closer to finishing the first aircraft and starting flight tests, and that it is coordinating with the Army as the build continues. The work is funded through the Army Contracting Command at Redstone Arsenal.

Source: Bell news release (news.bellflight.com).

Sources

news.bellflight.com