French company Vision Systems says that it has supplied resin transfer molding (RTM) composite products to the RACER (rapid and cost-effective rotorcraft) project.
The project, which the company is undertaking in partnership with Airbus Helicopters, involves developing a high-speed demonstrator rotorcraft with a cruise speed of more than 400 km/h. Final assembly of the demonstrator is expected to start late 2019, with a first flight in 2020. The new aircraft could be an alternative to business jets, or find application as an air taxi or a new generation of military, oil and gas and rescue helicopters.
Vision Systems is developing two composite jettisonable window frames for the cockpit, and one for the cabin, all three windows equipped with Vision Systems’ X-Lite composite glass, as well as a composite electric footstep which can fold and back into the structure of the rotorcraft.
This story uses material from Vision Systems, with editorial changes made by Materials Today. The views expressed in this article do not necessarily represent those of Elsevier.
