Racer resumes flight testing with new low-drag parts in place

Airbus Helicopters’ Racer demonstrator is back in flight testing after a six-month lay-up to install new parts to boost the high-speed rotorcraft’s aerodynamic performance.

Test sorties of the compound rotorcraft resumed around three weeks ago, says Brice Makinadjian, Racer chief engineer.

Since then, despite the poor weather conditions recently affecting the company’s Marseille base, the Racer has racked up around 3h of flight time.

On top of which, the helicopter made its first long-distance ferry flight – travelling between its Marseille airport home and Toulouse airport on 22 March to make an appearance at the Airbus Summit event.

Makinadjian, speaking to FlightGlobal at the Summit, says the Racer (F-WRAC) covered the 170nm (310km) between the two sites in little over 1h, travelling at around 180kt (333km/h) – well below its latest 240kt cruise speed target.

An initial phase of flight testing took place between its first flight on 25 April and June 2024, during which the Racer achieved 227kt true air speed in level flight – 7kt more than the programme’s original goal.

However, that speed was attained without several drag-reducing parts in place.

Airbus Helicopters paused the test campaign in late June to install those components – a main rotor fairing and main landing-gear doors.

Makinadjian says the recent spell of poor weather has limited the testing it has been able to perform on those parts. “They will take place in the weeks to come,” he says, “we are still exploring the capabilities of the demonstrator.”

Based on its modelling, the airframer predicts the main rotor fairing alone will cut drag at the location by 25%.

Later this year, Airbus Helicopters will also test the ‘EcoMode’ feature on the Racer’s Safran Helicopter Engines Aneto-1X turboshafts. This allows one engine to be idled – and rapidly restarted when needed – during the cruise, with the other powerplant optimised for that flight phase, cutting fuel burn.

Makinadjian says the EcoMode kit is currently in production. A short pause to testing will be required while it is installed but he says it is “not a difficult modification”.

Meanwhile, the manufacturer is formulating the mission demonstrations it will perform with the Racer, part of a process to prove its commercial value.

He says the focus will be on “classical missions where speed or time matters”, such as search and rescue or emergency medical services, but also missions “where we can demonstrate the manoeuvrability of the aircraft at low speed”.

“We want to demonstrate that we are still capable of doing it even better than a traditional helicopter,” he adds.

While Makinadjian is coy on the speed he hopes the Racer will be able to hit, he insists the 255kt record held by the X3 predecessor is not at the forefront of his mind.

“The Racer is not meant for just breaking a record, that’s not the main challenge,” he says.

Instead, the focus is on proving the demonstrator can perform those missions at speed but also show “cost efficiency and a lower environmental footprint”.

Part funded by the EU’s CleanSky 2 programme, the project’s goals are to demonstrate a design capable of flying 50% faster than a conventional helicopter but with 20% lower fuel burn.

Featuring twin pusher-configured propellers mounted on distinctive V-wings, other innovations incorporated on the Racer include an asymmetric tail boom for better anti-torque performance, an H-shaped tail plane with active control surfaces, and a low-drag profile.