The entire line of Robinson helicopters: R22, R44, and R66. Robinson Helicopter Photo
New Products on the Way
This is a pivotal time in the helicopter industry as new tech threatens to change the paradigm of traditional ops. Compared to start-ups, Robinson has a head start on innovative advances with its existing helicopters, widespread customer base and certification knowledge, Smith said.
For Robinson, product advancement doesn’t necessarily mean high-tech software or powerplants.
For example, the company is working on unleaded fuel improvements. The R22 and R44 Raven I and R44 Cadet all operate on 91UL or 94UL. Robinson is coordinating with Lycoming and fuel manufacturers on a solution for the R44 Raven II.
Decreasing rotor noise is a bit trickier, but Robinson’s 50% increase in its engineering staff aims to improve on that too.
The latest version of the Robinson helicopter, the R66, has been out for a decade now, and Robinson is listening to the market about what’s next, Kurt Robinson said. While the company is somewhat secretive about its next helicopter version, Smith has hinted that this could be the perfect time to develop a new
52 Mar/Apr 2024
model akin to a lighter Huey or Llama that’s easy to support in the field. He says it will be a “rugged, reliable, dependable aircraft” that will attract customers in underserved areas of the world, such as India.
“Our sweet spot is areas of the world that lack infrastructure, lack reliable supply chains, and need durable, reliable and easy field-repairable systems and service,” Smith related. “And I think we can bring Robinson affordability to more sophisticated applications.
“The future is going to have elements of enhanced operational technologies like machine vision that will help to identify threats before the pilot has time to perceive and react to them. So the systems will protect the pilot more than they do today, but I also think we’ll still have pilots that love to fly and want a conventional interface with the aircraft.”
One area of growth Smith isn’t pursuing is the military market. He’s been there with Bell and understands that produces a substantial increase in costs.
Robinson leaders are proud to say their people have produced the largest fleet of helicopters in the world that’s originally built for the civilian market.
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