Virtual reality helps bell Helicopter design new aircraft 90 percent faster
Being able to create new concepts and products in 10% of the time it used to take radically accelerates the rate of global innovation.
Key takeaways
- By using VR as a key part of their design pipeline the team created the FCX-001, the company’s latest concept aircraft, in just six months, almost 90% faster than traditional methods.
- Typically it takes five to seven years to design a helicopter, according to a case study published by Bell and HTC.
- Not only has VR been handy in the overall design of the FCX-001, it’s been helpful as a sales tool, allowing the company to showcase a wide range of customizations specific to a client’s needs.
Cite or link to this article
Griffin, M. (2023) 'Virtual reality helps bell Helicopter design new aircraft 90 percent faster', 311 Institute, 22 May. Available at: https://www.311institute.com/virtual-reality-helps-bell-helicopter-design-new-aircraft-90-percent-faster/ (Accessed: 1 October 2026).
We’ve seen Virtual Reality (VR) being used to accelerate the drug discovery process, and now it’s accelerating design and innovation in other fields after Bell Helicopter challenged its innovation team to accelerate its aircraft design process. By using VR as a key part of their design pipeline the team created the FCX-001, the company’s latest concept aircraft, in just six months, almost 90% faster than traditional methods.
Typically it takes five to seven years to design a helicopter, according to a case study published by Bell and HTC. Within that period there’s typically multiple iterations being explored between draft drawings, pilot testing, and focus groups. But, thanks to VR the FCX-001 ended up taking less than six months to create, Bell says.
The drastically expedited timeline was accomplished by employing VR in lieu of physical models and mockups. Working alongside Sector 5 Digital, which specialises in 3D design and production, the initial design and model was generated in CAD software, and then transferred into Unity so that it could be tested and modified in real-time with VR.
Using an HTC Vive, engineers were able to work from the start with a full scale virtual model to pass off to the test pilots. That allowed test pilots and engineers to experience the full scale model from the start rather than creating multiple physical mockups along the way. Feedback could therefore be gathered more quickly and easily, allowing for tuning of key characteristics like visibility and positioning of controls prior to creating a physical prototype. Bell says that the aid of virtual reality may have saved the company millions, if not tens of millions, compared to its traditional design process.
Not only has VR been handy in the overall design of the FCX-001, it’s been helpful as a sales tool, allowing the company to showcase a wide range of customizations specific to a client’s needs.
Given its success with VR in this branch of their business, Bell says it’s looking into incorporating VR into other aspects of its business such as training and maintenance.
What this means for your organisation
Design time can shrink sharply.
Helicopters normally take five to seven years to design. Bell's team built the FCX-001 in under six months by using VR in place of physical models and mockups. Any firm that builds complex products should ask how many of its own mockups are really needed.
Early feedback is the real gain.
Test pilots and engineers worked with a full scale virtual model from the start. They tuned visibility and the position of controls before any physical prototype existed. This fits the trend of designing products in software before anything is built, and Bell says it may have saved millions, if not tens of millions.
Design tools can serve other teams.
The same virtual model now helps sales show customisations to a client's needs. Bell is also looking at training and maintenance. VR is at technology readiness level 9 and 311 expects wide use by 2032, so leaders should plan where else one model can be reused.
Three questions for your next leadership meeting
- Which of our physical mockups could a full scale virtual model replace?
- Who gives feedback first in our design process, and how early?
- Could one design model also serve our sales, training and maintenance teams?
The trends and technologies behind this story
From the 311 Starburst, the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit’s map of the technologies and trends shaping the next 50 years.
Analysis by the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit, from Matthew Griffin’s article and 311 data. First published on Fanatical Futurist.
FAQ
Why does this matter?
Being able to create new concepts and products in 10% of the time it used to take radically accelerates the rate of global innovation.
About the author
Matthew Griffin Founder, President and Futurist, 311 Institute
Matthew Griffin is a multi-award winning Futurist and expert in Disruption and Innovation, Geopolitics, Leadership, and Technology, who NASA have described as a "walking encyclopaedia of the future" and a "futurist Polymath."
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Matthew Griffin is a multi-award winning Futurist and expert in Disruption and Innovation, Geopolitics, Leadership, and Technology, who NASA have described as a "walking encyclopaedia of the future" and a "futurist Polymath." 17-time best selling author of the "Codex of the Future" series, Matthew is the Founder, President and Futurist of the 311 Institute, a global Futures and Deep Futures advisory firm working with royal households, world leaders, G7, G20, and G77 governments, NGOs, and multi-national mid and mega cap firms to help them explore, shape, and lead the next 50 years of business and society.
An award-winning YouTube creator with over a million followers, with an unrivalled global reach and impact, Matthew is a highly sought-after international keynote speaker, lecturer, and mentor who collaborates with global leaders through the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) and United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) to shape pivotal initiatives such as the UN’s AI for Humanity program, the United Nations Conference of the Parties (UN COP), and the World Economic Forum in Davos.
As the former Global Head of Cloud, National Security, and Enterprise Sales for companies including Atos, Dell-EMC, and IBM, Matthew has a proven track record of building multi-billion dollar business units and turning failing divisions into market leaders. His ability to identify, analyse, and communicate the implications of hundreds of emerging technologies and trends is unparalleled, and his insights are trusted by many of the world’s most respected organisations, including ABB, Accenture, Adidas, AON, ARM, BCG, Centrica, Citi, Coca-Cola, Dentons, Deloitte, Dow Jones, EY, Google, KPMG, Lego, Legal & General, LinkedIn, Microsoft, PepsiCo, Qualcomm, RWE, Samsung, Siemens AG and Siemens Energy, T-Mobile, UBS, VISA, Walmart, Workday, Worldpay and many others.
Regularly featured in the global media including the AP, BBC, Bloomberg, CNBC, Discovery, Forbes, Khaleej Times, Telegraph, TIME, ViacomCBS, WIRED, and the WSJ, Matthews mission is to help organisations create a fair and sustainable future whose benefits are shared by everyone irrespective of their ability, background, or circumstances.
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Sources and further reading
- case study published by Bell and HTC blog.vive.com
- Sector 5 Digital sector5digital.com
Source: first published by the 311 Institute on 22 May 2023. Cite as: Griffin, M. (2023). Virtual reality helps bell Helicopter design new aircraft 90 percent faster. 311 Institute. https://www.311institute.com/virtual-reality-helps-bell-helicopter-design-new-aircraft-90-percent-faster/
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