Sparks's video: Get Ready New Army Helicopter Concept SB-1 Defiant Makes First Flight

First Flight of the SB-1 Defiant, a Potential Blackhawk Helicopter Replacement The SB-1 Defiant helicopter, a new rotary-winged aircraft design developed by Sikorsky-Boeing, flew for the first time on Friday, March 21, 2019. The Defiant uses a unique propulsion system, ditching the tail rotor of conventional helicopters and adding a push propeller. The result is an aircraft the manufacturer touts as faster and better handling than other choppers, which could result in faster and more agile U.S. Army helicopter force. The Defiant is an entrant in the U.S. Army's Joint Multi-Role-Medium Technology Demonstrator program, whose goal is to develop a new medium transport aircraft to replace the UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter. The Blackhawk has been in continuous service since the early 1980s, and although it's had a successful tenure, the Army decided now is the time for something new. New aviation technologies developed since the UH-60’s introduction could allow for faster, longer-range aircraft with greater performance in high-altitude environments