Sikorsky-Boeing SB-1 Defiant
The Sikorsky-Boeing SB-1 Defiant was a high-speed helicopter demonstrator built for the US Army’s Future Long-Range Assault Aircraft competition. It used coaxial rigid rotors and a rear pusher propeller, the same basic compound-helicopter idea later seen on the S-97. The aircraft reached speeds beyond conventional utility helicopters while retaining vertical-takeoff ability. Although the programme lost to Bell’s V-280, the Defiant remains a major step in modern high-speed rotorcraft research.
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Did you know?
Where its Bell V-280 rival used tiltrotors, the Defiant kept a helicopter's vertical rotors and added a pusher propeller for extra forward speed.
Specifications
| Length | 15.2 m (50 ft) |
|---|---|
| Height | 4.6 m (15 ft) |
| Rotor diameter | 11 m (36 ft) |
| Maximum passengers | 12 |
| Crew | 4 |
| Range | 420 NM (778 km) |
| Maximum speed | 250 kt (463 km/h) |
| Service ceiling | 15,000 ft (4,572 m) |
| Rate of climb | 3,000 ft/min (15.2 m/s) |
| Engines | 2x Honeywell T55-GA-714A |
| Units built | 1 |
Curated by CatchFlights from manufacturer documents, ICAO Doc 8643 and reference works; values are left out where no source could confirm them. Sources are listed on our credits page.
In CatchFlights
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