The Proposed New Robinson R66 Helicopter
Robinson Helicopters Soon Producing First Turbine Powered Helicopter
Sep 9, 2008
Frank Robinson announced in March 2007 that he would soon produce Robinson’s first turbine helicopter, the R66. Then in January 2008, Bell Helicopters announced that they were ceasing production of the Bell 206 JetRanger. So will the R66 take over from the well known and popular JetRanger? Read on…
The Current State of R66 Development
At Heli-Expo 2008, speaking to a packed crowd, Frank Robinson said that the development of his new helicopter was moving forward at “a slow but steady pace”. He told everyone that the R66 prototype had been flying for several months, and exhibited handling characteristics not unlike those of the piston-powered Robinson R44. Of course there were some differences; the helicopter had the typical turbine whine on start-up, the vibration was less than with the R44, the speed was the same or higher, and the rate of climb was higher.
Robinson was enthusiastic about the R66 powerplant, the new Rolls-Royce 300 turboshaft. He said, “It’s got a single-stage centrifugal-flow compressor and does away with all those axial flow blades on the Rolls-Royce 250. It’s a good engine and a good installation”. Apparently the TBO (time between overhauls) will be the same as for the R44 engine. Robinson said that the new helicopter would not have a glass cockpit, and he is uninterested in autopilots.
Comparison with the R44
The R66 bears a very strong physical resemblance to the R44, but the new helicopter will have one extra seat and a large baggage compartment underneath the engine and behind the seats. This should make the R66 perfect for ferrying four people plus weekend bags.
The R66 should be more profitable for sightseeing operations. Customers tend to arrive in groups of two, so having four passenger seats instead of three could prove to be a great help.
The R66 for Helicopter Training?
The R66 is expected to be relatively inexpensive for a turbine helicopter, selling for about the price of an older JetRanger. It seems unlikely to have a FADEC controlled engine, so this means that students could very easily cause hot starts, or overtorquing or overtemping. These are expensive mistakes for turbine helicopters. Therefore overall the expense could prevent the R66 being a training helicopter.
The R66 is likely to find its place as a first turbine helicopter for many pilots, and in sightseeing roles. With Bell no longer making the JetRanger, it could well take over where the JetRanger left off. Overall, it is highly likely to be as popular as Robinson's other helicopters.
Robinson has not officially announced a certification date for the R66, but various news reports suggest that it will start coming off the line in 2010.
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