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Army

Bell’s FARA Build Is Over 80% Complete, ITEP Engine Delay Pushes First Flight To Early ‘23

By Matthew Beinart

Thursday, March 17th, 2022

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Bell’s FARA Build Is Over 80% Complete, ITEP Engine Delay Pushes First Flight To Early ‘23

Bell's 360 Invictus being built for the Army's FARA competitive prototyping effort at the company's manufacturing facility in Amarillo, Texas. Photo: Bell.

AMARILLO & FORT WORTH, Texas — Bell’s [TXT] build of the 360 Invictus helicopter for the Army’s Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft (FARA) competitive prototyping effort is over 80 percent complete, while first flight has been pushed to early 2023 due to a delay in delivery of the General Electric Aviation [GE]-built Improved Turbine Engine Program (ITEP) engine. During a visit to Bell’s manufacturing facility in Amarillo, Texas where the 360 Invictus is being built, company officials told reporters the build…

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