Airbus Helicopters and Safran Helicopter Engines have signed a letter of intent (LoI) to work together in contributing to the reduction of CO2 emissions and sound levels for future vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) platforms.
A number of technological streams will be investigated, including various levels of electrification, higher-efficiency gas turbines or alternative fuels, as well as advanced engine architectures to further reduce the acoustic footprint of turbines.
“We are on the verge of a green revolution in our industry, and as the world’s largest civil helicopter manufacturer I believe it is our responsibility to advance technologies and solutions that will continue to make vertical flight the best choice to connect cities and carry passengers safely in urban environments,” said Bruno Even, Airbus Helicopters CEO. “This future cooperation with Safran Helicopter Engines will ensure that we are in the best position to leverage and mature new propulsion methods that will support the development of cleaner and quieter helicopter platforms.
"The Horizon Europe programme is the ideal solution to pull skills and know-how from across Europe, and I strongly believe in its ability to drive longlasting change in our industry.”
Airbus Helicopters and Safran Helicopter Engines have worked for years on the development of advanced propulsion solutions, including most recently an innovative electrically-powered “eco mode” enabling the pausing and restarting of a gas turbine in flight on twin-engine helicopters. This technology, which will generate fuel savings and increase range, will be tested on the Racer high-speed demonstrator, developed in the frame of the Clean Sky 2 European research programme.