Airbus Visualises a Future Helicopter With Wings to Cruise at 400 km/h

Building upon the success of the self-funded X3 demonstrator, which validated the “compound” aerodynamic configuration – a combination of a traditional main rotor and innovative lateral rotors – the Racer project will bring this concept closer to an operational design and demonstrate its suitability for a wide spectrum of missions where increased speed and efficiency will bring significant added value for citizens and operators. [caption id="attachment_3207" align="aligncenter" width="640"] The Racer (Photo Credit: Airbus)[/caption]

 “Today we unveil our bold vision for the future of high-speed rotorcraft,” Guillaume Faury, Airbus Helicopters CEO, said in a statement.

“This new project, pulling together the skills and know-how of dozens of European partners through the Clean Sky 2 initiative, aims to bring increased speed and range at the right cost, thanks to a simple, safe and proven aerodynamic formula. It will pave the way for new time-sensitive services for 2030 and beyond, setting new benchmarks for high-speed helicopter transportation.”  ]]>