Airbus demos high-speed helicopter

Airbus Helicopters has published a video demonstrating the capabilities of its Racer high-speed helicopter concept. The company had announced the first flight of the aircraft last month, in statement, which read:

Optimised for a cruise speed of more than 400 km/h, the Racer demonstrator aims to achieve the best trade-off between speed, cost-efficiency, and mission performance. The Racer also targets a fuel consumption reduction of around 20%, compared to current generation helicopters of the same class, thanks to aerodynamic optimisation and an innovative eco-mode propulsion system.

According to Airbus Helicopters, the Racer follows from the earlier X3 high-speed helicopter concept.

The Racer builds upon the aerodynamic configuration validated by the Airbus Helicopters X3 technology demonstrator which, back in 2013, broke the speed record and pushed the limits for a helicopter by reaching 472 km/h. While the aim of the X3 was to validate the compound architecture, combining fixed wings for energy efficient lift, lateral rotors for energy-efficient propulsion and a main rotor that provides energy-efficient VTOL flight capacity, the Racer aims to take the compound formula closer to an operational configuration and to offer increased capabilities for certain missions for which high speed can be a real advantage.

The Racer demonstrator aircraft includes 90 patents and has been brought to life by 40 Clean Sky 2 research partners in 13 countries and is powered by engines built by Safran.

Airbus Helicopters said in its statement:

Developed with Safran Helicopter Engines, the  hybrid-electrical eco-mode system allows one of the two Aneto-1X engines to be paused while in cruise flight, thus contributing to cutting CO2 emissions. The Racer also aims to demonstrate how its particular architecture can contribute to lowering its operational acoustic footprint.