New Technologies Make Helicopters Quieter, More Efficient, and Faster…

The helicopter industry appears to be under pressure in some areas due to the rise of Urban Air Mobility vehicles. All manufacturers are working on breakthrough technologies that will make helicopters more efficient and increase their performance.

BELL TEXTRON

Bell Textron, Inc. is currently seeing with the Bell 505 that investments in new technologies lead to success on the market: The manufacturer has delivered more than 360 of the newly developed single-engine light turbine helicopter in just a few years. New systems that make flying safer, easier, and cheaper are arguments for many customers to justify switching from an older helicopter model to a new one.

LEONARDO

Italian manufacturer Leonardo is also working on several innovative projects and is thus actively shaping the future of VTOL aviation. The manufacturer has been developing the AW609 civil tiltrotor aircraft since the mid-1990s. Initially with Bell as a programme partner, and since 2012 on its own. Thanks to its forward-tilting rotors, the AW609 combines the advantages of a helicopter with the cruise speed of a turboprop aircraft. Leonardo expects to certify the AW609 in the near future. At Heli-Expo in March, in Dallas, Texas, the manufacturer signed a contract with an unnamed European customer for the sale of four AW609s. The customer plans to use the aircraft for VIP transport and utility flights on various missions, according to Leonardo.

AIRBUS HELICOPTERS

Airbus Helicopters’ RACER (Rapid And Cost-Effective Rotorcraft) technology project aims to make helicopters more efficient, quieter and, above all, faster. RACER is designed for a cruising speed of 400 km/h (216 knots) and is being developed as part of the European Clean Sky 2 research programme. A total of 40 partners from 13 nations are working on RACER, including research organisations such as France’s ONERA and Germany’s DLR.

To read the full article as written in GA Buyer Europe, click here