RACER - Testing of Major Components

Abstract

In the frame of the European Clean Sky 2 initiative the RACER, as a demonstrator for high-speed rotorcraft transport, is developed at Airbus Helicopters in co-operation with multiple research, development, and manu-facturing partners all over Europe. As a new rotorcraft concept with new structural design principles structural testing is required to support the demonstration of airworthiness. Due to the contribution from independent partners and multiple constraints an appropriate test campaign based upon separated tests had to be per-formed. This testing campaign specifically follows two major aspects: At first to demonstrate that the structural components can take limit loads occurring during flight and ground operation, and second, to demonstrate that the new concept of the RACER including all related design principles are well reflected and represented in the analysis models used for substantiation. Both aspects and their outcomes are considered in this paper and in the absence of a full airframe dedicated for testing, the general testing philosophy for the RACER is described.