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Robinson R44

1993 MODERN AIRCRAFT

History of Robinson R44

The Robinson R44, dubbed "the world's best-selling helicopter", brought commercial success to the Robinson Helicopter Company. Its design is credited to Frank D. Robinson, with work taking place in the 1980s (it became an evolution of the earlier two-seater R22 model). The result is a multi-faceted, lightweight and user-centric helicopter that can count users from all over the world - from Bolivia and the Dominican Republic to the United States and Uruguay.

Serving the civilian, law enforcement and military markets, the helicopter's inherent simplicity makes it a premier helicopter trainer. The series was launched in 1993 and today (2018) has reached a production of nearly 6,000 units.

The R44 retains much of the form and function that made the 1979 R22 such a success (4,600 produced by 2016). It is powered by an engine that drives a two-blade main rotor assembly and a two-blade tail rotor assembly. The main rotor is located high on the mast, which is mounted in a sturdy structure with a diameter of 33 feet. The tail rotor points to port.

The landing gear is a simple two-slide structure that can land on almost any relatively solid surface. The cockpit seats two people in a typical side-by-side arrangement, with cargo space for two passengers (also side-by-side). Overall length is 38.2 feet and height is 10.8 feet.

Curb weight is 660 lbs and MTOW is 1,135 lbs.

Power (assuming "Raven II" production form) comes from a Lycoming IO-540-AE1A5 6-cylinder fuel-injected 245 hp engine. This drives the main rotor above the fuselage and the tail rotor at the rear (the latter via a drive shaft in the tail shaft). Top speed reaches 150 mph, while cruising speed is usually around 130 mph.

The range is up to 350 miles using internal fuel, and the altitude is limited to less than 14,000 feet.

The first flight of the R44 took place on March 31, 1990. Variations of the collection now include the 1992 R44 "Astro", the 1998 R44 "Newscopter", the R44 "Raven" (2000) and the Raven II (2002), and the 2015 R44 "Cadet".

The related Robinson R66 is a further development of the R44 series. Launched in 2007, the model had reached a total production of nearly 1,000 units by the end of 2017.