Everyone knows Airbus for its airplanes. Its legendary A380 remains an unrivaled aircraft, the largest airliner in history. But the European company doesn't just produce airplanes. It's also at the forefront of helicopter technology.
It demonstrated this again at its annual show, the Airbus Summit, held between March 24 and 25 in Toulouse. One of the round tables organized by the brand over these two days focused on the RACER, its latest helicopter, twice as fast as its direct competitors.
Presented for the first time on April 25, 2024, the RACER is capable of reaching a top speed of 420 kilometers per hour. It was built with a multitude of partners, ranging from SMEs to large groups that make up the aeronautics industry today. To achieve such a speed, the RACER has a new design, improving its aerodynamics.
The helicopter thus has two wings and an engine on each side. In addition to the rotor, at the top of the aircraft, these two engines, new on an aircraft of this type, take care of propulsion. The wings connecting the propellers to The nacelle has been designed to provide lift to the RACER, while minimizing disruption to the airflow.
A technological gem
Other very interesting details allow you to differentiate the Airbus RACER from more conventional helicopters at a glance. This aircraft does not have propellers at the rear, which are responsible for managing the tail. Instead, the two external engines take care of propulsion and maintaining the aircraft.
The rear of the RACER is not without interest, however. Airbus and its partners designed an asymmetric tailplane. This very specific shape should help the helicopter maintain a static position, ideal for rescue missions.
Primarily a civilian use?
Airbus has repeated throughout this congress that the RACER was designed for civilian purposes. The objective, with a top speed exceeding 400 kilometers per hour, is to quickly reach the scene of an accident or natural disaster. Airbus notably mentioned the concept of "golden hour" known to rescuers.
In the event of an accident, first aid must be provided as quickly as possible; it's literally a race against time. With a helicopter capable of traveling twice as far as all its competitors, the RACER is designed to save lives, literally.
But such characteristics are of great interest to the military world. During this Summit, we were asked several questions about these possible uses. With a very tense geopolitical climate, and war on the doorstep of Europe, the military use of the RACER is being questioned.
We cannot forget the question from our Polish colleagues about the possible use of this helicopter on the battlefield. Faced with such questions, Airbus reiterates that the RACER was not designed for this purpose. In the opinion of several specialists, however, a misuse seems possible.
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