Airbus Helicopters made a first significant move for their Racer demonstrator. The first flight of the racer helicopter took place at Marignane in the framework of the European Clean Sky 2 project. This 30-minute test flight provided the flight test team with invaluable data regarding the general performance and behavior of the aircraft. The maiden flight marks the beginning of a two-year flight test campaign to progressively expand the flight envelope and demonstrate high-speed capabilities.
The Racer demonstrator is conceived for a cruise speed above 400 km/h, while combined speed, cost efficiency, and mission performance are equally important targets. Targeted is the reduction of a substantial 20% in fuel consumption compared to those of similar class. The reduction in fuel consumption will be achieved by optimizing aerodynamics, along with a pioneering hybrid-electric eco-mode propulsion system developed with Safran Helicopter Engines. In this system, one of the two Aneto-1X engines can be paused during the cruise flight, thus reducing CO2 emissions.
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