Since June 1973 Frank Robinson has been working on his vision to create an inexpensive helicopter for the general aviation market.
In 1979, Robinson Helicopter introduced their first helicopter, the R22, whose simple design, low acquisition, and easy maintenance made it appealing to flight schools and private owners. Eventually, more people were learning how to fly and costs were becoming less of an issue, so the demand for these small, affordable helicopters was increasing. By 1992, Robinson introduced the more powerful R44, which eventually was renamed the Raven I. Ten years later the Raven II was announced, which was the same design as the original but equipped with an I0-40 fuel-injected engine and 28-volt electrical system.
As sales started to double, Robinson Helicopter started to contemplate ideas for a turbine-powered helicopter; and by the year 2005, the R66 was in full gear. In 2010 the R66 was certified to its current amendment and by April 2021, the company had delivered its 13,000th Helicopter!
Robinson Helicopter Company prides itself in safety first, offering pilot safety and maintenance courses and flight training guides and videos to keep current and future pilots safe in the air. The company also manufactures, assembles and inspects, and flight tests all of its helicopters at their factory in California, where they have a team of very skilled workers. While these workers work on new productions, there is also a program for older aircraft – a factory overhaul for these aircraft.
The Company also has a worldwide network of dealers and service companies that they work with to make sure that all helicopters are covered in the US as well as out of the country.
In the news as of late, a Robinson helicopter has been added to the training fleet at the University of North Dakota and updates to its onboard instruments. The company has been able to incorporate enhanced audio alerts through crews’ headsets instead of panel speakers. This will create better communication for pilots.
With discoveries happening as time moves on, you can be assured that they will be at the height of these changes and will continue to lead in the area of helicopter travel as the true visionaries of the helicopter business.
