Robinson’s New R88 Helicopter Is Their Biggest, Most Powerful One Yet
Robinson Helicopter Company, best known for its two-person R22 light helicopter, just announced its largest model ever, the R88, at the helicopter industry annual trade show VERTICON. It’s the first all-new aircraft the California aviation firm has announced since it certified its R66 16 years ago.
Robinson made a name for itself with the breakthrough two-seat R22, first certified in 1979, as being a safe, reliable, and affordable personal helicopter. It has since followed with the larger R44 (recently flown in an electric version) and R66 models.
The R88 is designed for “quick reconfiguration, supporting various mission needs,” said CEO David Smith during the launch at VERTICON, referring to its SUV-like design for enhanced cargo carrying capacity. It will have Robinson’s signature two-bladed tail rotor and two-bladed main rotor in their most evolved forms, said Smith, adding the R88 will be the most affordable helicopter in its class.
The R88’s all-glass avionics suite also includes a four-axis autopilot as standard equipment.
Robinson Helicopter Company
The $3.3 million single-engine turbine is much more advanced than the previous models “to meet a wider range of mission requirements while maintaining the company’s hallmark reliability, affordability, and safety,” including executive transport, air ambulance, utility work and aerial firefighting.
The 275-cubic-foot cabin has standard seating for 10. It’s powered by a 1000 hp Safran Arriel 2W engine, with Garmin G500H glass-panel avionics, dual cyclic controls and a standard 4-axis autopilot. “These are really high-caliber avionics that include two independent navigators,” Smith told Micah Muzio at the show. “We are positioning this as the largest single [engine helicopter] active on the market, or the smallest twin minus one engine.” Smith said that the twin engines on some helicopters are redundant for specific missions. “We will displace a lot of twins.”
The air-conditioned cabin of the helicopter is designed to be quickly reconfigured, with seats that can either face forward, or each other in a club configuration for family travels. They can also be removed if the R88 is going to be used as an air ambulance or for carrying cargo.
The mockup shows 10-seat design that can be reconfigured for different missions.
Robinson Helicopters
Smith was also proud of the R88’s new interior look, gleaned from automotive designers, as well as features like the cockpit camera. “We have more exciting things to show with technology-forward designs with automotive influences,” he said. The new helicopter will also have lightweight, “bird-strike” windows as a standard feature. “That feature and the four-axis autopilot as standards are going to continue to drive the industry forward,” he said.
As for performance, the R88 should have a range of over 350 nautical miles and endurance exceeding 3.5 flight hours. It is expected to have an internal payload of more than 2,800 pounds. The aircraft will be type-certified for optional single-pilot IFR operations. Smith remained vague about certification date, noting it would be on the market by the end of the decade.
