I think we can all admit that helicopters are awesome.  They can stop and land on a dime, can do all kinds of cool acrobatic stunts, and are the most useful form of in-city flight utilized today.  However, for all the things copters can do, the one thing they can’t do is go very fast.  There’s a limit to how much speed a helicopter can attain, versus a fixed-wing aircraft.  However, Eurocopter is working on eliminating that speed difference with the Eurocopter X3, a hybrid helicopter with fixed wings and rotors that is half-plane, half-copter!

It’s the best of both worlds, and it shows.  The X3 has a helicopter’s main rotor for take-offs and landings, but it also has fixed wings and forward rotors for forward movement and increased cruising speed.   We’re talking a top speed of 220 knots, or 253 miles per hour!  With that kind of speed, you can get away from any air-rage attacker.

Not to be outdone, rival helicopter maker Sikorsky is working on a hybrid helicopter with a top speed of 250 knots, or 287 miles per hour.

Tags: Eurocopter, X3, new-look helicopter, hybrid helicopter, helicopter with fixed wings and rotors, high-speed helicopter, winged helicopter, half-plane half-helicopter, unusual aircraft,  civilian aircraft, Sikorsky

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