The Airbus RACER (Rapid and Cost-Effective Rotorcraft) is an experimental high-speed compound helicopter developed by Airbus Helicopters from the Eurocopter X³.
Revealed at the June 2017 Paris air show, final assembly will start in mid-2020 for a 2021 first flight.
Cruising up to 400 km/h (216 kn), it aims for a 25% cost reduction per distance over a conventional helicopter.
Development
On 20 June 2017 at the Paris air show, Airbus Helicopters revealed a high-speed demonstrator configuration based on the X3
developed within the Clean Sky 2 research programme.
Its aerodynamic configuration was validated in 2017.
In February 2018, the 2,500 hp (1,900 kW) Safran Aneto-1X power plant was selected over the RTM322 initially selected, it is 25% more compact for the same power.
By October 2018, design of key subsystems was completed before the first components started manufacturing with long-lead items, as the lateral drive shaft production began.
GE's Avio Aero in Italy launched procurement and manufacturing of the lateral gear boxes housings, GE Aviation Systems in UK is building the wing’s titanium cradle, INCAS/Romaero in Romania started...
Viking Chieftain
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