At first glance, Racer looks like a regular helicopter.
Look closer, however, and youll notice it has both wings and two forward-facing rotors.
This means it can take-off vertically like a helicopter, and fly fast like a plane real fast.
Racer can reach speeds in excess of 400 km/h.
That eclipses civilian helicopters, which cruise at around 200 km/h.
The helicoptercould speed up response times for search and rescue teams and medical personnel.
It could even be used as an inter-city shuttle.
It’s free, every week, in your inbox.
The rotorcraft builds upon the half-plane, half-copter design of the Airbus X3.
Back in 2013, this experimental aircraft broke the speed record for a helicopter by reaching 472 km/h.
Racer aims to take this so-called compound formula closer to commercialisation.
Racer was launched under the EuropeanClean Sky 2programme which encourages the development of lower-emission air transport.
Racer ended up meeting these targets, Airbus said following thefirst test flights in April.
Airbus also says it will be more comfortable than a conventional helicopter.
Yesterdays flight demonstration took place at Airbus Helicopters base at Marignane, southern France.
Some 150 industry executives, politicians and representatives from the European Union were in attendance,Reutersreports.
For now, Racer remains a demonstrator aircraft albeit one that cost 200mn to build.
Tilt-rotors are, however, not technically helicopters so Airbus record still stands.
Story bySion Geschwindt
Sion is a freelance science and technology reporter, specialising in climate and energy.
