Eurocopter unveils new-look helicopter

[SpArK]

Eurocopter unveils new-look helicopter​

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.

Eurocopter unveils new-look helicopter - Yahoo! News

 

[siegecrossbow]

Eurocopter unveils new-look helicopter​

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.

Eurocopter unveils new-look helicopter - Yahoo! News

Did they base the basic chasis off the Daulphin?

 

[SpArK]

 

[SpArK]

Did they base the basic chasis off the Daulphin?

They look different..

But the base looks similar .. i agree with u.

 

[SpArK]

 

[airbus101]

Thank you Benny for the nice video

 

[hecj]

very funny toy.

 

[gubbi]

What a design! The forward facing props would mean that passengers have to wait till those props STOP moving before disembarking from the helo. The crew would have to wait till props stop rotating before approaching the helo or to get out and deliver whatever cargo that aircraft might carry. How convenient!

Now OTOH if that thing was made to break the speed record, then its understandably, hopefully, a one off model!

 

[Malik Usman]

Looks like amazing......seem like they are trying to make copy of US Osprey V-22 Used in Iraq War.

 

[asianamerican]

Looks scary, I would want to step out of that thing.

 

[TOPGUN]

Wow and that is awsome nice thx for sharing.

 

[Jigs]

That is really cool. Eurocopter makes impressive products.

 

[mjnaushad]

Can it hover? ???

 

[CardSharp]

New looking? Gyrocopters have been around as long as the airplane almost.

 

[sancho]

Did they base the basic chasis off the Daulphin?

At least based on the same family, the base is the EC 155 as the video Benny posted confirms.

Btw, there are several companies that are developing such next gen helicopters at the moment:

Kamov 92 -

Mil X1 -

Sikorsky X2 -