US Army’s Black Hawk replacement takes shape as Bell tests MV-75 gearboxes

Bell has completed the first nacelle structures for the US Army’s MV-75 Cheyenne tiltrotor and begun testing the aircraft’s gearboxes. 

The milestones concern the first MV-75 test aircraft, being built under the US Army’s Future Long-Range Assault Aircraft (FLRAA) program. In December 2022, the Army selected Bell’s V-280 Valor design to replace a large share of its UH-60 Black Hawk fleet, awarding an initial $1.3 billion development contract. 

The US Army initially named the aircraft Cheyenne II in April 2026, but both the service and Bell now refer to it simply as Cheyenne. 

Bell begins joining MV-75 wings and nacelles 

The first nacelle structures have arrived at Bell’s Amarillo Assembly Center in Texas, where workers have begun mating them with the aircraft’s wings. Bell credited its use of digital engineering throughout design, tooling, manufacturing and assembly. 

When Bell completed the first two MV-75 wing structures in June 2026, the nacelles were still being assembled. The wings and nacelles are then due to be joined with the fuselage under construction at Bell’s Wichita Assembly Center in Kansas.  

Gearbox testing underway in Texas

Gearbox testing: An MV-75 Cheyenne gearbox undergoing testing at Bell’s Drive System Test Lab in Grand Prairie, Texas. (Credit: Bell)Bell has also begun testing the MV-75’s gearboxes, which drive the electrical generators, hydraulic pumps and cooling blowers for the engines and nacelles. 

The gears and housings were produced at Bell’s Manufacturing Technology Center in Fort Worth, Texas, while testing is taking place at its new MV-75 Drive System Test Lab in Grand Prairie, Texas. Construction of the facility began in 2023. 

Other components of the power and propulsion system come from outside suppliers. Collins Aerospace was selected in April 2026 to provide the main power generation and interconnect drive systems, while Rolls-Royce began ground testing the MV-75’s AE 1107F engines in December 2025. 

Flight control and cockpit systems tested ahead of first flight 

Bell MV-75 Cheyenne II tiltrotor (Credit: Bell)Meanwhile, at Bell’s Weapon System Integration Lab in Arlington, Texas, engineers are integrating the MV-75’s flight control computers, general purpose computers, actuator drive unit, electrical components and large area displays. 

Bell opened the facility in March 2024 to test software and onboard systems before installing them on the aircraft. 

US Army pilots are also helping refine the cockpit. In May 2026, aviators from the 101st Combat Aviation Brigade evaluated the MV-75’s pilot displays in simulators at Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, focusing on their effect on pilot workload. Their feedback is expected to inform the aircraft’s detailed design. 

The company said the latest progress brings the first MV-75 test aircraft closer to completion, although a timeline for flight testing has yet to be announced.The post US Army’s Black Hawk replacement takes shape as Bell tests MV-75 gearboxes appeared first on AeroTime.

Go to Source