The
Robinson Helicopter Company, based at
Zamperini FieldZamperini Field is a city-owned public-use airport located three miles southwest of the central business district of Torrance, in Los Angeles County, California, United States....
in
Torrance, CaliforniaTorrance is a city incorporated in 1921 and located in the South Bay region of Los Angeles County, California, United States. Torrance has of shore-front beaches on the Pacific Ocean, quieter and less well-known by tourists than others on the Santa Monica Bay, such as those of neighboring...
, is the largest manufacturer of
civilA civilian under international humanitarian law is a person who is not a member of his or her country's armed forces or other militia. Civilians are distinct from combatants. They are afforded a degree of legal protection from the effects of war and military occupation...
helicopterA helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by one or more engine-driven rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forwards, backwards, and laterally...
s in North America.
History
It was founded in 1973 by
Frank RobinsonFranklin D. "Frank" Robinson is an engineer and the founder, president and Chief Executive Officer of Robinson Helicopter Company of Torrance, California...
, an ex-employee of Bell Helicopter and
The Hughes Helicopter CompanyHughes Helicopters was a major manufacturer of military and civil helicopters from the 1950s to the 1980s.The company began in 1947, as a unit of Hughes Aircraft, then was part of the Hughes Tool Company after 1955. It became the Hughes Helicopter Division, Summa Corporation in 1972, and was...
. Since delivering its first helicopter in 1979, Robinson Helicopter has produced over 8,000 aircraft. (The number was hit by an
R44|-See also:-External links:* * * * * *...
.) Robinson currently produces three models—the two-seat R22, the four-seat R44, both of which use
LycomingLycoming Engines is a U.S. aircraft engine company, known primarily for its general aviation engines. For most of its history Lycoming has been part of the AVCO group as AVCO Lycoming. In 1987 AVCO was purchased by Textron to become Textron Lycoming...
piston engines virtually identical to those found in fixed-wing
general aviationGeneral aviation is one of the two categories of civil aviation. It refers to all flights other than military and scheduled airline and regular cargo flights, both private and commercial. General aviation flights range from gliders and powered parachutes to large, non-scheduled cargo jet flights...
aircraft, such as the
Cessna 172The Cessna 172 Skyhawk is a four-seat, single-engine, high-wing fixed-wing aircraft. First flown in 1955 and still in production, more Cessna 172s have been built than any other aircraft.-Design and development:...
, and the five seat R66 which uses a turbine.
In March 2007, Robinson announced plans for production of the
Robinson R66|-See also:-External links:*...
, a five-seat helicopter of similar configuration to the R44, but with the addition of a luggage compartment, wider cabin (by 8 inches), and powered by a Rolls Royce gas turbine engine.
In December 2007, Robinson delivered its 800th helicopter for the year, a production record. The company was the highest rated helicopter manufacturer in
Rotor and Wing magazine's survey of operators.
R22
Though originally designed primarily as a small two-seat helicopter for personal use, the
Robinson R22 is a popular pilot training helicopter, due to its low price and low maintenance and operating costs. Its primary competitor, the Schweizer 300C, has a similar configuration, but is more limited production.
R44
The
Robinson R44 has become an increasingly strong competitor to the ubiquitous
Bell 206The Bell 206 is a family of two-bladed, single- or twin-engine helicopters, manufactured by Bell Helicopter at its Mirabel, Quebec plant. Originally developed as the Bell YOH-4 for the United States Army's Light Observation Helicopter program, the 206 failed to be selected...
, and is arguably surpassing the Bell in many areas. Though the Bell has a larger cabin with more seats (four passengers plus pilot in the Bell vs. three passengers plus pilot in the R44) and carrying capacity, the dramatically higher cost of purchasing and maintaining a turbine-powered helicopter makes the Robinson a viable option for many prospective buyers.
The R44 is available in several different configurations, including versions for news gathering and law enforcement. The Clipper version is equipped with floats to enable water landings in the event of an emergency.
R66
The
Robinson R66 is a five seat turbine powered helicopter. The R66 is between Robinson's four-seat piston-powered
R-44 Raven 2|-See also:-External links:* * * * * *...
and the
Bell 206The Bell 206 is a family of two-bladed, single- or twin-engine helicopters, manufactured by Bell Helicopter at its Mirabel, Quebec plant. Originally developed as the Bell YOH-4 for the United States Army's Light Observation Helicopter program, the 206 failed to be selected...
JetRanger in terms of performance. The
Rolls-Royce RR300|-See also:-External links:*...
turboshaftA turboshaft engine is a form of gas turbine which is optimized to produce free turbine shaft power, rather than jet thrust...
serves as the helicopter's engine. The R66 went into preliminary production in 2010, with the first delivered in November. Following this, the R66 went into full production in 2011.
Robinson Helipads
Robinson also produces the Robinson Helipad, a modular helipad designed for light helicopters. It is made from aluminum extrusions and is specifically designed for use on commercial and industrial building rooftops. It weighs about 1,600 lbs. and mounts to a three-beam understructure, which distributes the weight of the helipad and helicopter to the building support structure. It is designed specifically for helicopters with a gross weight up to 3,000 lb., and meets FAA recommended helipad size and International Building Code strength requirements.
External links