You would think that a company capable of producing a product which sits in a unique position in the market would be smart enough not to p*ss off it's customers by producing a sub-standard paint job on the blades which is clearly not fit for purpose.
On an absolute scale I can't disagree with you, Crab. From a relative perspective...
Originally Posted by
wrench1
Every OEM has left an operator (even large operators) hanging at one time or another. Eurocopter/Airbus/Turbomeca has/had a good track record for leaving you stuck at the most inopportune time. And at one time it was said Agusta/Leonardo were catching up to them.
Not that makes it right, surely.
There is also the fact that Robinson has an effective monopoly on the low end of the market. Until we see a putative Cabri G4 or the like, that keeps hourly operating costs within shouting distance of the R44, it's going to stay that way. IMHO, anything over $375/hr is a non-starter and you might as well go turbine if your mission won't cause issues with turbine cycles.