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Eurocopter unveils new-look helicopter
By Tim Hepher Tim Hepher – Mon Sep 27, 2:10 pm ET
MARSEILLE, France (Reuters) – European group Eurocopter showed off a revolutionary winged helicopter on Monday, in a bid to counter U.S. rival Sikorsky's efforts to break the speed barrier by rewriting rotorcraft design rules.
The X3 hybrid helicraft -- which combines forward-facing propellers astride two short aircraft wings with the familiar overhead rotor blades seen on any normal helicopter -- was unveiled following months of secrecy.
The half-plane, half-helicopter design aims to overcome chronic obstacles to high-speed helicopter flight by combining the advantages of fixed-wing aircraft with those of a standard helicopter -- allowing it to fly at 220 knots or 400 km/hour.
The move by the world's largest civil helicopter maker came less than two weeks after United technologies unit Sikorsky claimed an unofficial speed record of 250 knots (460 km/hour) with its own avant-garde prototype called X2.
The announcement confirmed the existence of the X3 for the first time after Reuters reported Eurocopter's plans to unveil it on Friday, ending months of speculation.
No Tail rotor.
Under current helicopter designs, rotor tips approach supersonic speeds when pushed to fly too fast and this can threaten the stability of the base of the rotor, executives said.
Bertling said the X3 concept would be more cost-efficient for heavy helicopters than competitors, which also include the existing Bell Boeing V22 tilt-rotor aircraft.
Eurocopter refused to give figures on development costs or market potential but said such a helicopter might typically cost 20-25 percent more and go 50 percent faster than a normal type.
Target markets include long-distance search and rescue, inter-city shuttle services or military uses including special forces operations . The wing-mounted propellers would be disengaged when the helicopter lands to avoid injury.
For details:
Eurocopter unveils new-look helicopter - Yahoo! News
Innovation is always welcomed.I have a feeling that it will be a promising candidate for future naval inductions by modern navies.
By Tim Hepher Tim Hepher – Mon Sep 27, 2:10 pm ET
MARSEILLE, France (Reuters) – European group Eurocopter showed off a revolutionary winged helicopter on Monday, in a bid to counter U.S. rival Sikorsky's efforts to break the speed barrier by rewriting rotorcraft design rules.
The X3 hybrid helicraft -- which combines forward-facing propellers astride two short aircraft wings with the familiar overhead rotor blades seen on any normal helicopter -- was unveiled following months of secrecy.
The half-plane, half-helicopter design aims to overcome chronic obstacles to high-speed helicopter flight by combining the advantages of fixed-wing aircraft with those of a standard helicopter -- allowing it to fly at 220 knots or 400 km/hour.
The move by the world's largest civil helicopter maker came less than two weeks after United technologies unit Sikorsky claimed an unofficial speed record of 250 knots (460 km/hour) with its own avant-garde prototype called X2.
The announcement confirmed the existence of the X3 for the first time after Reuters reported Eurocopter's plans to unveil it on Friday, ending months of speculation.
No Tail rotor.
Under current helicopter designs, rotor tips approach supersonic speeds when pushed to fly too fast and this can threaten the stability of the base of the rotor, executives said.
Bertling said the X3 concept would be more cost-efficient for heavy helicopters than competitors, which also include the existing Bell Boeing V22 tilt-rotor aircraft.
Eurocopter refused to give figures on development costs or market potential but said such a helicopter might typically cost 20-25 percent more and go 50 percent faster than a normal type.
Target markets include long-distance search and rescue, inter-city shuttle services or military uses including special forces operations . The wing-mounted propellers would be disengaged when the helicopter lands to avoid injury.
For details:
Eurocopter unveils new-look helicopter - Yahoo! News
Innovation is always welcomed.I have a feeling that it will be a promising candidate for future naval inductions by modern navies.