Robinson Helicopter Company
US$200 million | |
Number of employees | 1,300 |
|---|---|
| Website | robinsonheli |
The Robinson Helicopter Company, based at
History
The company was founded in 1973 by
Plans for production of the Robinson R66 were announced in March 2007. It is a five-seat helicopter of similar configuration to the R44, but with the addition of a luggage compartment, wider cabin by 8 in (20 cm), and powered by a Rolls-Royce RR300 gas turbine engine.
In 2013, Robinson was the global market leader, selling 523 light helicopters, a 1% increase from 2012.[4] Production in 2014 dropped to 329 aircraft. In 2015, Robinson produces one R22, four or five R44s, and one or two R66s per week, and has contracted with Rolls-Royce to supply 100 RR300 turbines per year for 10 years for the R66. The factory can produce up to 1,000 helicopters per year.[5]
Products
Robinson also produces the Robinson Helipad, a modular helipad designed for light helicopters.[6]
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Robinson R22 Beta -
Robinson R44 Raven II -
Robinson R66 Turbine
Mast-bumping controversy
Mast bumping is a dangerous condition helicopters can encounter when load on the helicopter's rotor assembly is temporarily reduced during flight (for example, during a low-g maneuver or turbulent weather). The reduction of load triggers excessive flapping in the helicopter's rotor blades, which can cause the entire rotor assembly to shear off the aircraft.
Robinson helicopters use a patented design for their main rotor, with a triple-hinged rotor assembly "teetering" atop an extended mast.[7] Several Robinson helicopters have been destroyed in incidents where mast bumping was determined to have occurred.[8][9] A May 2018 article in the Los Angeles Times reported Robinson helicopters seemed to have increased susceptibility to mast-bumping incidents.[10]
In 2016, the New Zealand Transport Accident Investigation Commission (TAIC) released a report summarizing 14 mast-bumping accidents or incidents involving Robinson helicopters in New Zealand, in which 18 people died.[11] The TAIC report noted "Helicopters with semirigid, two-bladed main rotor systems, as used on Robinson helicopters, are particularly susceptible to mast bumping in "low-G" conditions".
In 2018, a U.S. lawsuit accused the Robinson Helicopter Company of defective manufacturing after a mast-bumping event caused the in-flight breakup of an R66 helicopter.[12]
References
- ^ "Robinson Produces 10,000th Helicopter" (Press release). November 14, 2011. Retrieved August 25, 2018.
- ISBN 978-0-7385-4662-9.
- ^ "Robinson Helicopter celebrating 50 years". Globalair.com. Retrieved March 8, 2023.
- ^ Russian Helicopter magazine p. 13
- ^ Huber, Mark (March 3, 2015). "Robinson Boosts Production as Sales Surge, Strikes Deal for 1,000 Rolls-Royce Turboshafts". Aviation International News. Retrieved March 5, 2015.
- ^ Robinson Helipads Archived December 16, 2009, at the Wayback Machine. Robinson Helicopter Company. Accessed May 12, 2010.
- ^ "Robinson Tri-Hinge Rotor Head R22 Helicopter". Redback Aviation. February 23, 2018. Retrieved June 16, 2019.
- ^ "Final Report, Aviation Inquiry AO-2014-006, Robinson R44 II, ZK-HBQ, mast-bump and in-flight break-up, Kahurangi National Park, 7 October 2014" (PDF). Transport Accident Investigation Commission.
- ^ "TAIC publishes interim report on July 2018 fatal Robinson R44 helicopter accident over Lake Wanaka". taic.org.nz. Retrieved June 16, 2019.
- ^ Christensen, Kim; Welsh, Ben. "Danger spins from the sky: The Robinson R44, the world's best-selling civilian helicopter, has a long history of deadly crashes". www.latimes.com. Retrieved July 10, 2019.
- ^ "Robinson helicopters: mast bumping accidents in NZ" (PDF). Transport Accident Investigation Commission.
- ^ "Lawsuit Claims Robinson Defects Caused Fatal 2016 Crash in Arizona". Rotor & Wing International. June 28, 2018. Retrieved June 16, 2019.
External links
