Rolls-Royce has just officially started the testing process of the AE 1107F turbine engine, the "heart" of the new generation MV-75 side-wheeled helicopter line being developed by the US Army.
This move marks an important milestone in the roadmap for modernizing the US military's aerospace capabilities and air warfare in the next decade.
According to Rolls-Royce, the AE 1107 engine was developed based on the AE 1107 line, which has a long and stable history of operation.
The new version will be installed on MV-75 prototypes currently manufactured by Bell, before the US Army makes a decision to mass produce them.
Bell (Bell Textron Inc.) is a leading US aviation and defense corporation specializing in the design and manufacture of helicopters, "tiltrotor" take-off wing aircraft and military flight platforms.
The entire testing process is being conducted at Rolls-Royce's facility in Indianapolis, the company's largest complex in the United States.
Candince Bineyard, sales development director of Rolls-Royce Defense in the US, said the company is working closely with the US Army and industrial partners to provide a super-moderate, safe and low-risk propulsion engine solution.
According to Ms. Bineyard, AE 1107F is the most suitable choice for side-wings thanks to its proven technical foundation.
Technically, AE 1107F has up to 80% in common with the AE 1107C engine with a capacity of about 7,000 horsepower, which is being equipped with Bell-Boeing V-22 Osprey side-wings.
Currently, more than 400 V-22s are serving in the US Navy, Navy and Air Force, along with a small number in the Japanese Defense Forces.
In total, more than 1,000 AE 1107C engines have accumulated over 1 million flight hours, creating an important safe file for the MV75 program.
A notable difference between the MV-75 and the V-22 is the engine design. While the Osprey uses fully rotated engine clusters to switch between vertical and vertical flight, the MV-75 eliminates this complex configuration.
In the new design, Rolls-Royce engines are fixed to the wing; only the fan blades and gearboxes rotate to make transitions between flight modes.
Bell believes that this solution helps simplify the structure, improve reliability and reduce the risk of incidents.
In recent years, problems with the materials and durability of the rotary engine cluster on the V-22 have been pointed out in the US Navy's safety assessment report, which involved a number of serious incidents. Therefore, MV-75 is expected to overcome these limitations right from the design stage.
According to the plan, the first test flight and the handover of the first of the eight prototypes will take place in 2027, after an important design review in 2026.
The US military aims to include MV-75 in the frontline unit list by 2030 at the latest, with the 101st Division being the first customer.
In addition, the 160th Special Forces Air Regiment will also receive this type of aircraft in the later stages.
