Airbus’ Racer high-speed helicopter demonstrator reached a top speed of 420 km/h (227 kts) during its first flight tests.
The announcement was made on July 23, 2024, during the second day of Farnborough International Airshow in the United Kingdom.
The Racer surpassed its goal of 407 km/h (220 kts) on June 21, 2024, less than two months after its first flight. This was accomplished in only seven flights and approximately nine hours of testing.
“This achievement in such a short space of time is really a testimony to the hard work of our 40 partners in 13 European countries to bring all this innovation to flight,” Bruno Even, CEO of Airbus Helicopters said in a press release, published on July 23, 2024. “We are all looking forward to the next phase of flight testing, especially the eco-mode which will enable us to shut down one engine in forward flight, thus reducing fuel consumption, and lowering the CO2 emissions.”
Three pilots were on board the aircraft during the flight test. The next testing phase will focus on single-engine operations and finalizing the flight envelope.
The Racer demonstrator is designed for speeds over 400 km/h and aims to balance speed, cost-effectiveness, noise and mission performance. The hybrid-electrical eco-mode system allows the engine to be paused during cruise flights to reduce CO2 emissions.