developer tools pages. Frank Robinson made large donations to two aviation history projects. Death rate (Fatal accidents per 100,000 flight hours). Piston-engined Helicopter Market 2023 Effective Growth - MarketWatch Robinson Helicopter is known for their commitment to R&D. Robinson released its first model, the R22, in the late 1970s, and it released the R44 in 1993. Kurt Robinson rejected any link between mast-bumping and design. On October 23, 2019, a Robinson R44 crashed after departing from the North Las Vegas Airport. Robinson Helicopter Company opened shop in 1973. documents in the last year, 494 (3) Robinson Model R66 helicopters with a blade P/N F029-1 with S/N 2410 through 2589 inclusive, installed. Recently, Robinson Helicopter released the R44 Cadet, this is a two-place R44 that has been specifically designed for training. Robinson died peacefully in his Rolling Hills home on Saturday, Nov. 12. People who like adventure are attracted to our products, he said. When people say that ours have more accidents than the others, well, ours are not being flown by professional people, Robinson said. In 2015, Robinson produces one R22, four or five R44s, and one or two R66s per week, and has contracted with Rolls-Royce to supply 100 RR300 turbines per year for 10 years for the R66. AD 2021-19-08 requires checking each blade for any crack and removing any cracked blade from service. He went on to work in engineering at the Cessna Aircraft Company, McCulloch Motor Company, Kaman Aircraft, Bell Helicopter and Hughes Helicopter Company. You may examine the AD docket at The R44 retains that title to this day, partly due to its being one of the cheapest helicopters on the market. 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A float-equipped version, dubbed the Mariner, was introduced later in the year and was priced at $94,850. Gail Bechler, whose husband, Jim, died in a fiery 2012 accident that investigators concluded was his fault, said she was shocked to find out that his R44s fuel tanks had split like a Coke can in a relatively low-impact crash and that there had been many others like it. In this Issue, Documents The company recommended that the change should be done as soon as practical, but no later than 31 December 2014. [7] Several Robinson helicopters have been destroyed in incidents where mast bumping was determined to have occurred. Take the case of Jim Bechler, an Orange County attorney who had piloted Robinson helicopters for more than 30 years and bought a new R44 in 2008. The company reported 1 million flight hours for its R66 Turbine fleet in autumn 2019, and it delivered R66 serial number 1000 in summer 2020. Classes started each day at 8 . This check is an exception to the FAA's standard maintenance regulations. They were in the air for 90 seconds when it shook to the point where I felt that the aircraft was about to come apart, pilot Scott Quist told the NTSB. [10], The R44 was found to be prone to post-accident fires due to damage to the aluminum fuel tanks, allowing fuel to leak out. [11] The TAIC report noted "Helicopters with semirigid, two-bladed main rotor systems, as used on Robinson helicopters, are particularly susceptible to mast bumping in "low-G" conditions". The prevailing opinion, at the time, was that helicopter market was for the military only. I will tell you Ive never seen anybody hurt with that, he said. Both of these service bulletins are dated January 6, 2022 and specify that a preflight inspection is to be performed by the pilot for continued operation until the affected blades are replaced. Robinson spent 16 years trying to convince his aerospace employers that such a market even existed. While every effort has been made to ensure that AD 2021-19-08 was prompted by reports of spanwise cracks found along the leading edge of P/N C029-3 blades, S/N 9410 through 9909. Since the issuance of 2021-19-08, the FAA received one comment from Robinson requesting that the FAA correct an inaccurate statement in the background section of the preamble text. We intend to go on for many, many more years, so hes left a real legacy. He served as president of the Torrance-based company until he retired in 2010 at age 80 and passed the reins to his son Kurt Robinson. Start Printed Page 41628 You may send comments, using the procedures found in 14 CFR 11.43 and 11.45, by any of the following methods: edition of the Federal Register. R44 helicopters that were manufactured before December of 2010, as well as all R22 helicopters, have fuel tanks that are more susceptible to rupturing than other fuel tanks. She formerly worked as the Torrance/Carson reporter for the Daily Breeze and as a city hall reporter for the Santa Monica Daily Press. As consumers, we often take for granted all the hard work that goes into building a great company. R44 Cadet with Floats. website: To learn more about the methodology and review the computer code The compliance date was later moved to 30 April 2013. The R44 was then released in 1992, featuring a more powerful engine, but the same great design philosophy as the R22. In 1957, he earned a BSME degree from the University of Washington and later attended graduate school at the University of Wichita. That image stuck with Robinson and drove the course of his career and life. The warning was deemed impractical by many pilots and widely ignored. Nov. 13TORRANCE Aviation visionary and South Bay legend Frank Robinson has died at 92. leaving behind six children, a company of over 1,000 employees and a forever changed helicopter industry. documents in the last year, 29 You have to instruct them and tell them there are things you cant do.. The FAA has included all known costs in its cost estimate. Follow the instructions for submitting comments. For the reasons discussed above, I certify that the proposed regulation: (1) Is not a significant regulatory action under Executive Order 12866, (2) Would not affect intrastate aviation in Alaska, and. The company protested the watch-list designation and said mast-bumping accidents are entirely avoidable when pilots use good judgment and follow operating procedures. During this time, the R44--more versatile with its four seats--became the world's top-selling helicopter. The company vigorously defended its record, maintaining that its aircraft are safe and reliable when flown within their operating limits. They havent figured it out, former NTSB chairman Christopher Hart told The Times late last year. His left arm was partly paralyzed and he now walks with a limp. And if we branch out from the R44 model, the statistics are even worse. of the issuing agency. Its one thing to sit on the sideline and say, Youve got to improve that, Robinson said. It provides parts and accessories, helicopter and engine overhauls, helicopter repairs, and educational courses for pilots and maintenance technicians. Others have died when main rotor blades peeled apart in flight or sliced through tail booms or cockpits. During November 2015 Robinson announced the Cadet, a Raven I with a cargo area instead of the two back seats, a slightly less powerful engine and a more efficient muffler. Using a Rolls-Royce RR300 turboshaft engine, the R66 includes a 300-pound (136-kilogram)-capacity baggage compartment. This information is not part of the official Federal Register document. Fuel consumption of 20 miles per gallon was claimed for the R22, which was also said to be the quietest chopper around. You're a power user moving through this website with super-human speed. Document Drafting Handbook These tools are designed to help you understand the official document james.guo@faa.gov. documents in the last year, 83 This regulation is within the scope of that authority because it addresses an unsafe condition that is likely to exist or develop on products identified in this rulemaking action. documents in the last year, 19 establishing the XML-based Federal Register as an ACFR-sanctioned (2) If there is any crack, before further flight, remove the blade from service. Since its incorporation in 1973, the Torrance based company has delivered thousands of R22, R44, and R66 helicopters to private pilots and commercial operators around the world. Of the 13,000 helicopters Robinson has sold, 1,200 have crashed. This site displays a prototype of a Web 2.0 version of the daily 05/01/2023, 858 James Guo, Aerospace Engineer, Airframe Section, Los Angeles ACO Branch, Compliance & Airworthiness Division, FAA, 3960 Paramount Blvd., Lakewood, CA 90712; telephone (562) 627-5357; email In July 2002, Robinson introduced the Raven II featuring a more powerful, fuel-injected engine and wider blades, allowing a higher gross weight and improved altitude performance. Franklin Davis Robinson (January 14, 1930 - November 12, 2022) was an American aeronautical engineer and the founder of Robinson Helicopter Company in Torrance, California.He served as president, chief executive officer, and chairman of the company for many years. Information about this document as published in the Federal Register. In July 2015, a federal jury in Mississippi awarded Wells $2.8 million for his injuries and economic damages, along with $700,000 to Farmers widow. Robinson was also a major figures of the Torrance and Palos Verdes communities, and played an integral role in putting Torrance's aviation industry on the map. The AD docket contains this NPRM, any comments received, and other information. Just two years later he took the two-seat, piston powered helicopter on its first flight with a mere 60 hours of flight experience behind him. This AD applies to Robinson Helicopter Company Model R44 and R44 II helicopters, certificated in any category, with an Start Printed Page 14413 agricultural spray system installed by Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) SR00286BO with spray systems serial-numbered 0045 through 0178 inclusive, installed. This means that the fuel system was likely at fault for the majority of these crashes. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT. Mail: Its business model: mass-produce simple, low-cost helicopters and sell them to the civilian public at an affordable price. In 1975, Robinson had a working prototype of the first model, the R22, which had been constructed in a tin hangar at the Torrance Airport in southern California. Radio stations, which used helicopters to report on traffic conditions, were another important early market. Robinson founded the Robinson Helicopter company in 1973 where he defied the opinions of aviation leaders and opened a previously untapped market for private ownership through his signature R22, R44 and R66 model helicopters. In 2016, the New Zealand Transport Accident Investigation Commission (TAIC) released a report summarizing 14 mast-bumping accidents or incidents involving Robinson helicopters in New Zealand, in which 18 people died. Robinson was not the first person who aspired to create an affordable helicopter for personal use. Under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) (5 U.S.C. They manufacture the R22, which is a two-seater, the R44, which is a four-seater, and the R66, which is a five-seater. The year 1996 saw the introduction of the R22 Beta II, which had a new engine and offered improved hover performance for a base price of $135,000. Robinson Helicopter Company is the leading manufacturer of light piston-engine helicopters. As a result, not all operators are familiar with the phenomenon, as the accident operator was not, the agency noted. [8][9] A May 2018 article in the Los Angeles Times reported Robinson helicopters seemed to have increased susceptibility to mast-bumping incidents.[10]. Larry Wells, a pilot for the FAA, was practicing hovering, landing and liftoff maneuvers near Jackson, Miss., on Sept. 1, 2009, when his Robinson R44 began to shudder violently. The street address for Docket Operations is listed above. Plans for production of the Robinson R66 were announced in March 2007. In the United States, Robinson was behind an initiative to place lightweight helipads atop business buildings and in industrial parks. R44 Raven I. R44 Clipper I. R44 Cadet. Besides the recession, product liability was another major factor in slowing sales across the entire U.S. general aviation industry in the early 1980s. He served as president of the Torrance-based company until he retired in 2010 at age 80 and passed the reins to his son Kurt Robinson. 05/01/2023, 244 This AD applies to the following Robinson Helicopter Company (Robinson) helicopters, certificated in any category: (1) Robinson Model R44 and R44 II helicopters with a tail rotor blade (blade) part number (P/N) C029-3 with serial number (S/N) 9410 through 9909 inclusive, installed; (2) Robinson Model R44 and R44 II helicopters with a blade P/N C029-3 with S/N 9910 through 10659 inclusive, installed; and. I was very happy when they emerged alive, said golfer Kevin Keating, who saw the R44 fall from the sky. The company also offers welding, machining, assembly, painting, and flight testing. I have felt it was a good thing, a mandated type of training that prevented accidents, said Kurt Robinson, who took over the company from his father in 2010. [20]:12 The FAA, the governing body in the country of manufacture whose directives would normally be followed in other countries like Australia, had not mandated the retrofit; CASA therefore issued Australian-specific airworthiness directive AD/R44/23, grounding R44 aircraft on 30 April 2013 that had not yet been upgraded. But the following year, at age 80, Robinson did retire from the iconic helicopter company he founded in 1973, turning control over to his son, Kurt. After breaking even for a couple of years, Robinson Helicopter turned its first profit in 1987. When the answer is, We dont keep databases because every time something goes wrong we fix it, that doesnt answer the question of just what is the story, what is going on here? said Hart, the former NTSB chairman. In 2009, the company began to bolster its new R44 tanks with flexible bladders, which are puncture-resistant and designed to contain fuel in low-impact crashes. Employment would soon pass 400 workers. The prototype was then sold to a flight school, a market he told the Los Angeles Times he had not even considered when he began to develop the aircraft. in Political Science and Middle Eastern Studies from Columbia University. Some pilots or their surviving family members said they were stunned to learn after accidents of the R44s safety issues, and they questioned why regulators had not taken stronger action. This document has been published in the Federal Register. The FAA must receive comments on this proposed AD by August 29, 2022. Ten years later they introduced the R44 Raven II, which had an advanced engine, as well as an improved 28-volt electrical system. The first production R44 Astro was delivered in February 1993. An overflowing order book called for a major expansion of the Torrance plant. "Frank could do it all," Kurt Robinson said . Robinson Helicopter Company - Crunchbase Company Profile & Funding Tragically, those who were in the helicopter now fall among the nearly 600 people that have died in Robinson helicopter crashes since 1982. All rights reserved. As you were browsing something about your browser made us think you were a bot. He later worked on rotorcraft research for manufacturers including McCulloch Motor Company, Kaman Aircraft, Bell Helicopter, and, finally, Hughes Aircraft Company, which he joined in 1969. These new affected blades are from a batch of blades manufactured from a separate lot of material, and testing determined that they are also susceptible to stress corrosion cracking and can be installed on Robinson Model R44, R44 II, and R66 helicopters. TORRANCE Aviation visionary and South Bay legend Frank Robinson has died at 92. leaving behind six children, a company of over 1,000 employees and a forever changed helicopter industry.
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