Sorry about that. Somehow my connection dropped out.
To carry on.
I researched for a couple of years while I rented an R22. I ended up buying a used R22. I have sat in a couple of 162s but not flown in them.
Was due to fly in one but the FADEC rolled over and wouldn't let the machine start. Cancel that one.
The other was in my engineers hangar for months waiting for a new tailcone. It had a huge buckle in it that was said to have occurred from normal usage. Owner claimed no hard landings or damage. Just finished a flight one day and noticed a thin buckle in the skin. Fired it up again and after a few, some ? exactly how many, minutes there was a big buckle.
The engineer had a really good crawl all over it and he isn't very impressed. Mind you he's Robbie man through and through!
I did a lot of comparisons with costs etc as well as all sorts of other things and I reckoned then (and still do after owning my R22 for nearly 3 yeays) that I made the right decision.
see
http://helipics.homestead.com.index and go to "To buy or Build"
The only thing I think the Rotorway has in its favour is it is a way better looking machine than the R22. (But don't tell my Robbie I said that
