Originally Posted by
Bell_ringer
How many home builders spend more than $600k on a kit?
I imagine there aren’t many out there at that price.
Seems like a clever way to get a new machine to market in a commercially viable way to me, especially if certification likely to follow in due course, funded by sales of the ‘private’ version.
We’re currently building a kit car that will cost around GBP150k, but that’s a choice based around the experience of doing the build ourselves.
Surely most people, if they have the passion and desire to go flying can find 2 weeks to a) fulfill their dream of building a machine, or b) more likely fulfill the regulatory requirements to substantially build the machine (at least on paper).
It’s my understanding that a significant number of orders have been taken for this machine, and as an owner of a 2017 R66 flying about 60hrs a year I imagine I’m right in the cross hairs of the target market.
I shall watch the development of this helicopter with great interest, and will
most likely put down a deposit this year.
What the HX50 will do to residual values of mainstream single engine turbines remains to be seen, and that’s a concern to me as a decision well in advance of the vaunted Robinson 12 year overhaul period is going to be necessary.
Either way, Jason Hill seems credible to me, and whether successful or not he deserves huge credit for attempting to disrupt the profiteering norm in this uninnovative and completely non customer centric industry.
if he becomes a thorn in the side of mainstream manufacturers, they have only themselves to blame. A very complacent bunch.