Airbus Racer Expands Flight-test Envelope

Airbus’ Racer is continuing to expand its flight-test envelope, with the high-speed demonstrator having logged more than 50 flight hours to date. During recent elements of this campaign, the experimental aircraft conducted new missions, including landing on uneven terrain, achieving an elevated rate of climb, and performing sharp 2G turns.

The aircraft’s ability to land on a 14-degree slope is attributed to Racer’s unique compound architecture, which Airbus said enables “the Racer to land in areas that would have been considered off-limits for conventional helicopters.”

Airbus also attributes the side-mounted propellers to Racer’s ability to execute “sharp 2G turns while flying at 370 kilometers an hour,” allowing it to change speed while remaining level. The aircraft achieved a rate of climb of 3,600 fpm, roughly twice as fast as a conventional rotorcraft.  

These milestones will be crucial in expanding the operational possibilities of this configuration of aircraft, with Airbus stating that “speed does not have to come at the expense of cost-effectiveness, fuel efficiency, and mission performance.”

Airbus believes its first phase of testing—performed under the European Next Generation Rotorcraft Technologies (ENGRT) project—proves the “maturity and mission capacity” of its high-speed airframe. This initial phase formally finished in February. Subsequent testing will now focus on what Airbus terms “two promising environmental initiatives:” its Eco-Mode technology and optimized low-noise trajectories.