The new Airbus RACER, a modern helicopter, has just showcased its incredible skill at the Paris Air Show.
While it may look like your average new chopper, there’s a lot more to it.
There are two things that make the Airbus RACER special.
And the new aircraft’s main feature is actually secretly explained in the name.
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What makes the Airbus RACER so special
First of all, this modern helicopter is very agile.
In the clip filmed at the Paris Air Show, it can be seen flying sideways like a fighter jet.
Bernd.Brincken/Wikipedia Commons
Second, and perhaps more importantly, the RACER is faster than most helicopters.
The name RACER stands for Rapid and Cost-Effective Rotorcraft.
Translated, this aircraft is 25 percent more cost efficient than a conventional helicopter.
It’s fast, too.
Airbus says it can cruise at 400km/h, or 216kn, which is a lot for a chopper.
Like an eVTOL, but bigger
The new Airbus RACER almost reminds us of eVTOLs, aircraft that can take off and land vertically, which means they don’t need long runways and can theoretically land and take off quite quickly and easily on the spot.
Several companies across the globe, including automakers, have been testing new eVTOLs left and right.
The idea is to turn these aircraft into Ubers for the sky and beat traffic, while reducing emissions in the process because the vehicles are electric.
According to the Chinese government, as many as 100,000 eVTOLs could be hovering about our heads by the end of the decade.
Even the UK government is bullish on this.
At the time of writing, eVTOLs are only legal in a handful of countries, and operational in none.
But it feels like it’s just a matter of time.
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