A long way from its humble start in a single rundown hangar in 1973, RHC added another 133,000 square feet to its massive manufacturing facility in 2010. Robinson Helicopter Photo
Technology Partnerships
Robinson doesn’t shy away from the high-tech stuff. The company has already joined in tech-forward partnerships with Tier 1 Engineering, Skyryse and Rotor Technologies, for example. Robinson provides the workhorse platform that gives these projects a head start.
Tier 1 Engineering completed its first electric-powered flight between airfields in October with a modified R44 featuring a MagniX electric motor. Electrification will be a major factor in reducing helicopter noise, Smith noted.
Skyryse is already taking reservations for its first production helicopter equipped with its automated flight control system. Dubbed Skyryse One, it’s an R66 modified with one four-axis control stick and two touchscreens in place of all the mechanical switches and gauges. A simple touchscreen swipe starts the engine and it hovers on command. The initial sale price is $1.8 million.
Rotor Technologies already completed its first uncrewed flight test of a full-scale civilian rotorcraft in November with the R220Y, an experimental platform based on the Robinson R22.
“No other company is close to performing commercial operations with an autonomous helicopter of this size,” Rotor Technologies Chief Commercial Officer Ben Frank said.
Rotor Technologies is now commercializing its technology with the R550X that builds off Robinson’s R44 Raven II. The R550X is designed to perform hazardous operations such as firefighting, crop dusting, construction, humanitarian aid, and remote cargo delivery without putting pilot lives at risk.
Rotor Technologies plans to certify the technology for passenger flight – thereby bringing Kurt Robinson’s motto of “Helicopter for the Masses” to a whole new potential with faster and affordable commutes for middle-class passengers.
“We believe that our flight heritage and manufacturing capability will position Robinson to be a key player in the next generation of VTOL aviation,” Smith said. “You can be certain that Robinson will be in the middle of the future of aviation.”
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rotorpro.com 16.04.24 17:20 53
YOUR TRAINING NEEDS ARE OUR UNIVERSE
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