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Eurocopter
X3 Hybrid helicopter |
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Eurocopter X3 is an experimental high-speed hybrid helicopter under
development by Eurocopter. The X3 was unveiled for the first time to
the public in flight demonstration during the Paris Air Show 2011. Eurocopter’s
X3 high-speed hybrid helicopter demonstrator, which performed its maiden
flight on September 6, 2010, has reached on November 29th the program’s
Step 1 speed objective: attaining a true airspeed of 180 kts (333 km/hr)
in level flight at a reduced level of engine power. This performance
was obtained at the DGA Flight Test base in Istres, France. In the flight
testing performed thus far, the flight envelope has been opened with
and without autopilot to validate the basic hybrid demonstrator aircraft’s
stability and handling characteristics. Currently, a product using the
technology of the X3 demonstrator is not expected until 2020 at the
earliest |
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Prototype only |
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| Design | ||||||||||||||||||||||
The
X3 utilizes a Eurocopter EC155 Dauphin helicopter airframe. It is equipped
with two turboshaft engines that power a five-blade main rotor system,
along with two propellers installed on short-span fixed wings. This
hybrid configuration creates an advanced transportation system that
offers the speed of a turboprop-powered aircraft and the full hover
flight capabilities of a helicopter. It is tailored to applications
where operational costs, flight duration and mission success depend
directly on the maximum cruising speed. |
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| Propulsion | ||||||||||||||||||||||
The
X3 Eurocopter is equipped with two turboshaft engines that power a five-blade
main rotor system, along with two propellers installed on short-span
fixed wings. This hybrid configuration creates an advanced transportation
system that offers the speed of a turboprop-powered aircraft and the
full hover flight capabilities of a helicopter. It is tailored to applications
where operational costs, flight duration and mission success depend
directly on the maximum cruising speed. The tractor propellers are gear
driven from the two main turboshaft engines which also drive the five-bladed
main rotor. |
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| Flight Performance | ||||||||||||||||||||||
In
the flight testing performed thus far, the flight envelope has been
opened with and without autopilot to validate the basic hybrid demonstrator
aircraft’s stability and handling characteristics. The X3 has
reached an altitude of 12,500 feet (3,810 meters) and performed maneuvers
with left and right turns at bank angles of up to 60 degrees. The X3
flights to date were performed by Eurocopter test pilot Hervé
Jammayrac and flight test engineer Daniel Semioli at the French DGA
test facility in Istres. “The X3 has performed extremely well,
demonstrating handling and flight qualities that are exactly in line
with our ground-based simulator evaluations,” Jammayrac said.
“This helicopter is really built for speed, and our test team
looks forward to taking the X3 to the next steps of its flight regime.” |
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The X3 combines excellent vertical takeoff and landing capabilities with fast cruise speeds of more than 220 kts. Eurocopter envisions a wide range of applications for this concept, including long-distance search and rescue (SAR) missions, coast guard duties, border patrol missions, passenger transportation and inter-city shuttle services. It could also be well-tailored for military missions in Special Forces’ operations, troop transportation, combat SAR and medical evacuation – benefitting from the hybrid aircraft’s combination of higher cruise speeds with excellent vertical takeoff/landing performance. |
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