Bell FCX, The future of Helos!

[dodgy-alan 1,587]

Great article about this aircraft in this months Air International magazine. What beast. The thing's designed to be flown by the pilot wearing VR headsets!  It looks like one incredible piece of kit  if they can get it to work as advertised. Personally I love it.!  ..............JF are you watching? !!

http://www.designboom.com/technology/bell-fcx-001-helicopter-concept-30-03-2017/

[dodgy-alan 1,587]

http://www.bellhelicopter.com/company/innovation/fcx-001

[brett 2,310]

It looks cool or ugly depending on your views, but concept aircraft rarely come to fruition. What's good is that they are working toward improving some of the individual areas that need upgrades. Not sure why Bell is all of a sudden coming up with a concept except to maybe tempt money from investors so they don't have to bare the blunt of the costs. (Shoulder Shrug) 

[J G 927]

Is this really fly by VR as one photo suggests? I wouldn't want to fly in an aircraft with that technology and no manual backup systems. Have an electrical failure or software crash and you have no control of the aircraft at all.  No chance of an autorotation, no chance of any form of control what so ever.  May as well have an image of your arse in front of you so that in case of emergency you can kiss it goodbye.

[dodgy-alan 1,587]

5 hours ago, J G said:

Is this really fly by VR as one photo suggests? I wouldn't want to fly in an aircraft with that technology and no manual backup systems. Have an electrical failure or software crash and you have no control of the aircraft at all.  No chance of an autorotation, no chance of any form of control what so ever.  May as well have an image of your arse in front of you so that in case of emergency you can kiss it goodbye.

That's a fair point, it would definitely need to have a manual operation back up system in case the electrics failed. Computers are only as good as the person who programs them. IT like that can be easily hacked as we know only too well. I think the passengers would feel a lot safer knowing that the pilot is actually connected physically to the aircraft!  That said, the rest of the ideas regarding the look of the cabin and the exterior I absolutely love. As has been said by bell themselves, this is just a technology showcase rather than a prototype and I think we're more likely to see those ideas appear on more conventional Helos to begin with. Who knows, in a fey years time we may not need big rotors on top at all. Lift fans have already proved that they work. They've been testing them for decades, so lose the big rotor and that cuts down drag. Things in the Helo world are getting a whole lot more interesting!

[Captain Coffee 2,030]

That controls issue was my first thought upon seeing it as well...waving your hands around to control an aircraft seems fine in the context of a flight sim, with actual air between your seat and the reality far below...no thanks.

The cabin interior looks lovely, and probably impractical...that kind of Open Airiness probably looks like "Wasted Space" and "Unnecessary structure/weight for no payload" to air operators.

And I agree that it looks freaking amazing, but then so do most manufacturer's Concept Cars that never Ever hit the road. In fact making a Concept Craft is pretty much the same as telling your investors "We Certainly WON'T be making this"

[J G 927]

I have to agree with Matt.  It is a concept, it looks sleek and sexy, and it just isn't going to happen.

 

A bit like a Lynx deodorant advert versus reality.