TAKES OFF


before exhibits opened Mar. 11 when the maker unveiled its newest aircraft type—the two-pilot, eight-passenger, multi- mission R88, powered by Safran’s Arriel 2W engine. Unlike previous models from Robinson, which were built off the slim R22 design, the R88 resembles a more traditional single- turbine multimission helicopter. Longtime Robinson VP of


Engineering Pete Riedl, who died in January, led the new mod- el’s design, building it around Robinson’s proven two-bladed teetering rotor system, tall mast, and founder Frank Robinson’s high-performance tail rotor. But that’s where the obvious similarities end: gone is the T-bar cyclic, replaced by standard, removable floor- mounted cyclics that allow the


helicopter to be piloted from either front seat in the roomy, wide cabin. The R88 also features a full glass cockpit with Garmin G500H TXi displays and a four-axis Garmin autopilot standard. “As we look to the future, we see a clear and compelling


need for more,” Robinson CEO David Smith said of the R88’s development during the unveiling event on Mar. 9. “More capability, more capacity, and more range.” Smith emphasized that the company saw an opportunity


with the R88 to fill a void in the industry with “an accessi- ble, highly capable aircraft that positively addresses those demands for pilots and maintainers all over the world in a robust and supportable package.” Robinson was uniquely positioned to meet this need, he


said, due to the company’s long history of providing helicop- ters known for their affordability, ease of maintenance, and safety. Listed for $3.3 million, the versatile R88 is designed


to support firefighting, air ambulance, air tour, VIP trans- port, and utility operations. The model offers features not


JUN 2025 POWER UP 39


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