Aviation Week Heli-Expo Show News Briefing - February 24-26, 2008 - (Page 29) Robinson Sets Sales Record, Proceeds with R66 Turbine If you want to get Frank Robinson riled, ask him about helicopter noise. “I think we can all do more to make the helicopter quieter,” he said on the eve of HeliExpo 2008. There the mildness ends. “The rules and requirements and limitations on helicopter noise are completely ass-backwards,” Robinson told Show News. That’s because heavier helos are allowed to be louder, which to Robinson is patently unfair. “The observer on the ground just cares about how loud it is,” he says. So what’s he going to do about it? Probably nothing, as his company, which likes a lead time of about two months, finds itself nearly sold out for 2008 even before Heli-Expo. Robinson built 159 R22 and 664 R44 helicopters (a record) last year for a total of 823 4:54:32 PM (a record), and this year, if all goes very well, the firm could break 1,000 (a new record). Robinson is also working fast and furious on the new R66, with the freshly certified Rolls-Royce RR300 engine making it the firm’s first turbine. Test flights, with chief pilot Doug Tomkins on the stick, commenced in November. “It looks very similar to the R44,” Robinson says, but will be about 8 in wider and 8 in taller, with a baggage compartment. Photo? No. Price? TBD. Stay tuned. Frank Robinson sees the humble helipad, for which his firm sells kits, as a key market enabler. Helipad Dreams His new R66 turbine single is keeping him plenty busy, but another thing Frank Robinson would like to give more time to is the helipad, as he views helipad proliferation as the key to a new wave of sales. Helipads could do for the helicopter, he maintains, what fractional ownership did for business jets. ShowNews_Mar08.ai 2/13/08 Robinson founder Frank Robinson. THE NEW STANDARD FOR INTEGRATED LED DISPLAYS, COCKPIT CONTROLS & SAR SYSTEMS Specialized Solutions for Search & Rescue Operations FULL-FEATURED SEARCHLIGHT SYSTEMS WITH INTEGRATED MAPTRACKER SM AND IN-FLIGHT SYNCHRONIZATION CAPABILITIES li-Exp at He 21 us See ooth 37 B o • High power, variable focus illumination (1600W XENON) • Integrated power supply and motion controller for reduced weight and simplified installation • Optimized design tested to meet all relevant DO-160E categories including shock, vibration, temperature, humidity, altitude, E3, crash safety and more • MapTrackerSM ready for simple integration with EFB’s and other onboard systems • Optional IR/NIR illuminator for covert surveillance in conjunction with NVIS operations www.lumatech.com 13226 SE 30th Street | Bellevue, WA 98005 P 425.643.4000 | F 425.643.4001 www.aviationweek.com/shownews February 24, 2008 29 http://www.lumatech.com http://www.lumatech.com http://www.aviationweek.com/shownews
For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.