At the international helicopter salon in Dallas, That opened yesterday, the first blow fired him Robinson Helicopter, a American manufacturer famous for the small vehicles (he began with the two -seater R22 in the seventies), who arrived fifteen years ago at over 15,000 Easemplari after having first launched the four -seater with Pistoni R44 engine, then the 6posti R66, the first exampled to the turbine of its production. Well, yesterday in Dallas Robinson in fact opened the 2025 helicopteristical salon by presenting the mock-up of a next turbine monomotor helicopter, the ten-seater R88, a completely new project that aims to receive the type certification within this year to enter service by the end of the decade, with a collection of orders, in one day, of the value of 3.3 million dollars. On the market this new vehicle is among those with a useful load of slightly less than ton with fire -fighting capacity, emergency medical transport, for public utility and passenger transport works, being able to count on a cabin with rapid reconfiguration. The choice of the engine fell on the French model Safran Helicopte Rengines, ARRIEL 2W capable of producing about 1,000 horsepower on the tree. “We like the idea of surprising the market,” the president and CEO of Robinson Helicopter David Smith told the press, explaining: “It is a rather large vehicle and it is the best he can offer in a mountain man who manages to achieve the skills of many Bimotore helicopters on the market. I think we have caught in the sign in terms of economics, it will have at an affordable price and can be used with reduced operating costs “.
In the last two years, the Robinson engineers have worked intensely on the concept of the R88 And the development of this helicopter was one of Smith’s goals when he took the guide of the company by Kurt Robinson, in February 2024. “We spoke to many customers,” he explained, “and we asked what they needed. It was an important part of our engineering focus “. The R88, like all Robinson’s predecessor models, maintains the system of the main rotor oscillating with two two -glued metal blades, but with a load of the rotor disk which is higher. This solution maximizes the advantages of the application of new components, such as the shape of the tips of the blades for noise reduction, as well as a tail rotor with simplified architecture but by the command authority also excellent in wind conditions to the traverse, in the tradition of the founder Frank Robinson. However, the typical command of the cyclical pass (the lower between the pilot’s legs) of the single element type with oscillating bar, common to all the other models will disappear. On the R88 these will be double traditional checks installed like most helicopters on the floor, in front of each pilot. This is for obvious reasons for the width and height of the cabin.
However, the R88 shares the structural architecture of his brothers, With a welded steel frame, aluminum coating and a few titanium parts. There will be a greater use of carbon fiber composites because those parts will be thick enough to justify carbon fiber than the fiberglass. The flight checks will be equipped with a double hydraulic for the control of pitching and roll. The instrumentation will be completely digital and integrated, while at the rear end of the fuselage, a foldable rear entrance door has been obtained which will make it easier to load patients during health transport with the stretchers. The Avionic Suite will be Garmin, equipped with G500H TXI tactile screens that include an alert system for the crew, Navcom navigation system and a four -axis standard Garmin. The self -cilot includes level methods, stationary flight assistance, signaling of limits and protection for low and high speed. The rear doors will be sliding, the instrumental flight capacity will be an option available immediately, while regarding performance the definitive cruise speed has not yet been revealed.
With regard to the maximum transportable weight, There will be the option for an external load hook of about1500 kg, therefore higher than competing models such as Bell) 429 and the Airbus H135. Autonomy will be over 350 miles and 3.5 hours; Other options include a storage basket, a protective kit against wire shots and retractable floats. Buyers can opt for high skates for a greater height from the ground and compatibility with the fire -fighting water tank to be installed below. Smith assures: “The first thing will be the first flights, expected Antro the summer.
