AUSA: Ah, the V-280 Valor tiltrotor. If you’re BD reader, an aviation enthusiast, or (better yet) both, you definitely know it, you probably love it — but you certainly haven’t been inside it. In this exclusive video, Colin Clark climbs in and out of the V-280 at the Association of the US Army show, from cockpit to troop compartment, and gets a thorough briefing from Bell on what they’ve building, from engineering refined by a decade’s experience with the V-22 Osprey to sensor technology derived from the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter — except upgraded.

We also took a ride in the flight simulator for Sikorsky’s rival SB>1 Defiant. The Defiant’s not actually done yet, though it’s close to its first flight, so Sikorsky and parent company Lockheed are pulling out the stops at AUSA this year while Bell and its well-publicized V-280 coast a little.

Bell V-280 Valor tiltrotor in level flight with rotors facing forward. The V-280 is widely considered the leading candidate for the Future Vertical Lift assault aircraft and a contender for the scout version.