DATE:27/09/10
SOURCE:Flightglobal.com
PICTURES: Eurocopter unveils high-speed hybrid helicopter
By Dan Thisdell
Eurocopter has made clear it has no intention of letting rivals loosen its grip on the civil rotorcraft market with the unveiling of its much-anticipated high-technology solution to the challenge of boosting helicopter speeds.
Eurocopter's answer to the Sikorsky X2 pusher or Bell-Boeing V22 Osprey tiltrotor is the H3 - High-speed Hybrid Helicopter - concept, which features a five-blade main rotor for vertical lift and single propellers mounted to short fixed wings either side for speed, with Eurocopter promising sustained cruise at more than 220kts.
Credit: Eurocopter
The H3 demonstrator, called X3, has been flying at the French DGA's Istres flight testing centre since 6 September. Initial testing will continue through December with reduced power, progressively opening the flight envelope to approximately 180kt (330km/h). Then, after a three-month upgrade, X3 flights will resume in March 2011 with the goal of reaching 220kt in sustained cruise.
Chief executive Lutz Bertling says the Eurocopter approach is to extend range and boost speed without an excessive penalty in acquisition and operating costs which, he contends, is not the case with the tiltrotor approach: "It only makes sense if what you gain in speed is not overcompensated by what you add in costs."
Credit: Eurocopter
Eurocopter sees the H3 configuration proving suitable for long-range search and rescue, coastguard duties, border patrol, passenger transport and inter-city shuttle services. Military applications benefiting from vertical take-off and landing and cruise speed could include special forces operations, troop transport, combat SAR and medical evacuation.
"This is the future of Eurocopter," says Bertling.
To keep development costs down, the EADS-owned rotorcraft manufacturer has adapted existing components for the X3, including the airframe (from the Dauphin 365), main rotor (EC155) and main gearbox module (EC175), which has had lateral take-offs added for the lateral propulsion propellers.
http://www.flightglobal.com/article...ter-unveils-high-speed-hybrid-helicopter.html
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
author Cécile Vion-Lanctuit
09/27/2010
Flight testing of Eurocopter’s X3 high-speed hybrid helicopter demonstrator marks a new milestone in the company’s innovation roadmap
Marignane,
Eurocopter has begun test flights of the X3 demonstrator for its innovative High-speed, long-range Hybrid Helicopter (H3) concept, which combines excellent vertical takeoff and landing capabilities with fast cruise speeds of more than 220 kts.
The X3 demonstrator is equipped with two turboshaft engines that power a five-blade main rotor system and two propellers installed on short-span fixed wings. This creates an advanced transportation system offering the speed of a turboprop-powered aircraft and the full hover flight capabilities of a helicopter. The concept is tailored to applications where operational costs, flight duration and mission success depend directly on the maximum cruising speed.
A wide range of utilizations are envisaged for the H3 configuration, including long-distance search and rescue (SAR) missions, coast guard duties, border patrol missions, passenger transport and inter-city shuttle services. It also may be well-suited for military missions in special forces operations, troop transport, combat SAR and medical evacuation – benefitting from the hybrid aircraft’s combination of higher cruise speeds with excellent vertical takeoff/landing performance.
“Innovation is at the core of Eurocopter’s strategy to continue its leadership in the global helicopter sector, and the X3 demonstrator represents a key element of our innovation roadmap,” said Lutz Bertling, Eurocopter’s President & CEO. “The teams at Eurocopter took this hybrid helicopter from concept to first flight in less than three years, which demonstrates their skills, capabilities and dedication to defining the future of rotary-wing aircraft.”
The X3 demonstrator’s first flight occurred September 6 in southern France at the Istres Center of “DGA Flight Testing”, which is operated by the French DGA government agency and ensures a secure and controlled environment. Initial testing will continue through December with reduced power, progressively opening the flight envelope to speeds of approximately 180 kts. After a three-month upgrade, X3 flights will resume in March 2011 with the goal of reaching sustained cruise speeds in excess of 220 kts.
http://www.eurocopter.com/site/FO/scripts/myFO_publication.php?news_id=719&lang=EN
SOURCE:Flightglobal.com
PICTURES: Eurocopter unveils high-speed hybrid helicopter
By Dan Thisdell
Eurocopter has made clear it has no intention of letting rivals loosen its grip on the civil rotorcraft market with the unveiling of its much-anticipated high-technology solution to the challenge of boosting helicopter speeds.
Eurocopter's answer to the Sikorsky X2 pusher or Bell-Boeing V22 Osprey tiltrotor is the H3 - High-speed Hybrid Helicopter - concept, which features a five-blade main rotor for vertical lift and single propellers mounted to short fixed wings either side for speed, with Eurocopter promising sustained cruise at more than 220kts.
Credit: Eurocopter
The H3 demonstrator, called X3, has been flying at the French DGA's Istres flight testing centre since 6 September. Initial testing will continue through December with reduced power, progressively opening the flight envelope to approximately 180kt (330km/h). Then, after a three-month upgrade, X3 flights will resume in March 2011 with the goal of reaching 220kt in sustained cruise.
Chief executive Lutz Bertling says the Eurocopter approach is to extend range and boost speed without an excessive penalty in acquisition and operating costs which, he contends, is not the case with the tiltrotor approach: "It only makes sense if what you gain in speed is not overcompensated by what you add in costs."
Credit: Eurocopter
Eurocopter sees the H3 configuration proving suitable for long-range search and rescue, coastguard duties, border patrol, passenger transport and inter-city shuttle services. Military applications benefiting from vertical take-off and landing and cruise speed could include special forces operations, troop transport, combat SAR and medical evacuation.
"This is the future of Eurocopter," says Bertling.
To keep development costs down, the EADS-owned rotorcraft manufacturer has adapted existing components for the X3, including the airframe (from the Dauphin 365), main rotor (EC155) and main gearbox module (EC175), which has had lateral take-offs added for the lateral propulsion propellers.
http://www.flightglobal.com/article...ter-unveils-high-speed-hybrid-helicopter.html
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
author Cécile Vion-Lanctuit
09/27/2010
Flight testing of Eurocopter’s X3 high-speed hybrid helicopter demonstrator marks a new milestone in the company’s innovation roadmap
Marignane,
Eurocopter has begun test flights of the X3 demonstrator for its innovative High-speed, long-range Hybrid Helicopter (H3) concept, which combines excellent vertical takeoff and landing capabilities with fast cruise speeds of more than 220 kts.
The X3 demonstrator is equipped with two turboshaft engines that power a five-blade main rotor system and two propellers installed on short-span fixed wings. This creates an advanced transportation system offering the speed of a turboprop-powered aircraft and the full hover flight capabilities of a helicopter. The concept is tailored to applications where operational costs, flight duration and mission success depend directly on the maximum cruising speed.
A wide range of utilizations are envisaged for the H3 configuration, including long-distance search and rescue (SAR) missions, coast guard duties, border patrol missions, passenger transport and inter-city shuttle services. It also may be well-suited for military missions in special forces operations, troop transport, combat SAR and medical evacuation – benefitting from the hybrid aircraft’s combination of higher cruise speeds with excellent vertical takeoff/landing performance.
“Innovation is at the core of Eurocopter’s strategy to continue its leadership in the global helicopter sector, and the X3 demonstrator represents a key element of our innovation roadmap,” said Lutz Bertling, Eurocopter’s President & CEO. “The teams at Eurocopter took this hybrid helicopter from concept to first flight in less than three years, which demonstrates their skills, capabilities and dedication to defining the future of rotary-wing aircraft.”
The X3 demonstrator’s first flight occurred September 6 in southern France at the Istres Center of “DGA Flight Testing”, which is operated by the French DGA government agency and ensures a secure and controlled environment. Initial testing will continue through December with reduced power, progressively opening the flight envelope to speeds of approximately 180 kts. After a three-month upgrade, X3 flights will resume in March 2011 with the goal of reaching sustained cruise speeds in excess of 220 kts.
http://www.eurocopter.com/site/FO/scripts/myFO_publication.php?news_id=719&lang=EN
