26 February 2009
Robinson Helicopters unveiled its R66 helicopter to the public gaze for the first time at its home base in Torrance, California. The turbine helicopter was the centrepiece of a party held in its honour.
Powered by the RR300 Rolls Royce turbine, the helicopter retains the teetering rotor head and two-blade configuration common to Robinson helicopters. It can carry up to five people with baggage, and is designed to fill the gap between the R44 and Bell JetRanger machines.
Although it resembles the R44, Robinson says that many of the parts are not interchangeable. The company says that a year or more testing is still required before the aircraft is certified.
The price of the new machine has not been decided, but once again it is likely to be positioned between the R44 and the JetRanger.
