Show was amazing. Obviously a static demonstrator, but the level of progress was amazing and unexpected. I talked to several engineers and there’s no winter break; they’re already solving problems back at work Monday.
Some new info for those who won’t watch the video:
- Launched gVTOL initiative (g is for “green”), which I think is quite important to keep our industry ahead of being a target by militant greenies. Despite what you think of Hill, private heli ownership is an easy target for politicians looking to score cheap points.
- Announced two facilities; with flight ops at an airport. Signed already. Manufacturing space to come, which is easy and plentiful options. The flying was the big one.
- Taking direct public orders for HC50. £625k show price until Monday. (Existing HX order book can do £575k until Monday). final price I think is £725k. Also taking new HX orders frozen price £536k until Monday. Final HX price is £595k.
- Showed combustor test rig. Not yet operational. Engine guys say won’t be long. GT50 engine cutout concept demonstrator.
- Showed fully working gearbox and rotor hub with mock up levers to show how it works. This looks like an amazing piece of engineering.
My personal reaction:
The aircraft look better in real life. They almost look not real because they’re so modern & sleek. The retractable one is a later fuselage and you can tell the build quality is much better (little details), so they’re making huge steps. People here mock him for doors/handles but seeing people use them and some small issues with locking mechanisms highlights how important those tiny details are. The engineers were looking closely how people were using it in the real world.
Obviously it’s not flying but the seats, fuselage, windows, etc are all production representative. It’s very nice to sit in any seat. One of my worries was forward visibility for confined areas but you can see about 1m ahead, and through the chin windows near your feet so it’s actually better than I thought.
the signature strip lights and lighting clusters were incredible. High end automotive or better. The reveal behind the curtain with the strip lighting was really well done and looked a little knight rider! It was a fun show. The staff and engineers received a standing ovation for their work. They are definitely highly motivated.
Obviously the timeline is the big question on peoples minds. They’re 100% aware and are pushing hard but not compromising on quality. TBH after seeing this I’m happy to wait and make sure they finish it properly. Robinson has another couple of years of selling their over priced designs yet, but after that, I suspect it will only be rebuild kits.