ABOVE: The demonstrator has a cruise speed of 237kt while burning 25% less fuel than a conventional helicopter.
The Airbus Racer high-speed demonstrator has continued to expand its flight envelope and has now logged over fifty flight hours, and passed some demanding tests, including steep slope landings and high-G turns.
Funded by the European programme Clean Sky 2, the Racer was designed to answer a critical question: Can a helicopter combine high speed with improved fuel-efficiency? The demonstrator has already proven it can reach a cruise speed of 237kt while burning 25% less fuel than a conventional helicopter. It has also demonstrated the effectiveness of the compound formula for offering the best trade-off between speed, cost-efficiency and mission performance.
In recent tests, the demonstrator successfully completed a 14-degree landing. Unlike standard helicopters that require difficult manoeuvres to match the slope, the Racer can utilise its unique configuration to its advantage. By keeping its main rotor level and using its side propellers to precisely angle the aircraft, it can land perfectly parallel to the slope. This capability enables the Racer to land in areas that would have been considered off limits for conventional helicopters – greatly expanding the operational possibilities for this type of aircraft.
The Racer recently climbed to 10,000 feet in just two minutes and 44 seconds, a climb rate of 3,600 feet per minute, roughly twice as fast as a conventional rotorcraft. Crucially, this record was not set by a stripped-down prototype, but by the aircraft in its standard configuration.
The demonstrator is also very manoeuvrable and recently executed sharp 2g turns while flying at almost 200kt. At high speeds, the wings take on the lifting load, freeing up the main rotor and side propellers to focus on extreme agility. This compound configuration also enables the aircraft to accelerate and decelerate while maintaining a constant altitude. Unlike conventional helicopters that must pitch the nose down to accelerate or up to brake, the Racer can change speed while remaining level – a clear advantage for military missions requiring stability and target focus.
The team is now preparing to test two promising environmental initiatives: the ‘Eco-Mode’ system and optimised low-noise trajectories. Scheduled for testing later this year, the ‘Eco-Mode’ will allow the pilot to put one of the two engines on stand-by in cruise. This is projected to reduce fuel burn by an additional 15% while maintaining a fast cruise speed of approximately 180kt. Should the pilot need full power back, the system is designed to restart the second engine in mere seconds.
PHOTO: AIRBUS
