Aircraft

Bell Helicopter's TR918 Eagle Eye unmanned tiltrotor performed its first flight yesterday at the company's Fort Worth, Texas facilities (pictured below). 

The tilt-rotor high speed tactical unmanned air vehicle (UAV) lifted off vertically at 08:54 and hovered for 9min. During its brief flight the TR918 performed yaw and translation manoeuvres. The test UAV flew a second flight 30min later.

The Pratt and Whitney PW200/55-powered vertical UAV, has a wing span of 7.4m (24ft 2in) and is 5.6m long. Full specifications can be found in Flight International's UAV Directory.

The Eagle Eye was designed originally for the US Coast Guard's Deepwater programme, with first deliveries scheduled to begin later this year. The UAV is being offered to other countries, with France and Germany thought likely to be launch customers in a programme estimated at generating around $1 billion in sales over its life.

"This is a tremendous achievement for Bell Helicopter and our Team Eagle Eye partners," says Mike Redenbaugh, Bell chief executive.

The TR918 test programme will continue, with transition of the tilt rotor nacelles to forward flight mode and increasing speed and payload capabilities the priorities, the company says.