Honeywell Engine To Power Defiant X

Sikorsky and Boeing have selected Honeywell’s new HTS7500 turboshaft engine to power the Defiant X advanced military helicopter. According to Honeywell, the 7,500-SHP engine is 42 percent more powerful and yields an 18 percent reduction in specific fuel consumption compared to the T55-714A. The company says the HTS7500 also offers the lowest total weight compared to other engines in its horsepower class.

“This engine builds upon the battle-proven architecture of the T55, but the HTS7500 takes engine performance, reliability and efficiency to a whole new level,” said Dave Marinick, Honeywell Aerospace Engines and Power Systems president. “The engine is structurally similar, which is great for maintainers in the field because they can use current tools and training.”

Designed for the U.S. Army’s Future Long Range Assault Aircraft (FLRAA) program, Defiant X is competing with Bell’s V-280 Valor tiltrotor to replace the UH-60 Black Hawk fleet. It is based on the Sikorsky-Boeing team’s SB>1 Defiant technology demonstrator and features a coaxial rotor system, fly-by-wire flight controls, pusher prop, composite construction and retractable landing gear. The Army is expected to award the FLRAA contract later this year.