12 year inspections and 12 year overhauls
Gents,
it really is very simple, and (with respect) Chopper Doc you are adding to the confusion.
We are talking about two different things:
(i) The 12 year Inspection and (ii) the the 12 year Overhaul.
Starting with economic practicalities, ANY Robinson R44 that has flown more than 1200 hours and is 12 years old should have a 12 year Overhaul. This is where you buy a kit from Robinson and most things get thrown away/exchanged and you get a bill for around £140,000 and a helicopter that is fit for another 12 years and another 2,200 hours.
This is exactly what happens to a Robinson R44 helicopter that gets to 2,200 hours any time between 1 years and 12 years. It has flown the maximum amount of hours authorised by Robinson (and the FAA) and is therefore out of time.
But the 12 year Inspection is something very different from this.
For any aircraft that has flown less than 1200 hours, you should ask your authorised Robinson Service Centre to quote on a 12 year Inspection.
You don't have to send the aircraft back to the Robinson factory or take it to either of the two dealers here.
In the UK, there are plenty of organisations that will do these Inspections and Overhauls. Helimech, GB Engineering, PDG, Brian Seedle Helicopters, HJS Helicopters, Aero Maintenance, London Helicopters are all places that will quote for either. Forgive me if I've left any names out!
The Inspection still involves replacing lifed items (eg MR blades, various other moving parts) but there is a lot of other stuff that it is NOT madatory to scrap/exchange. If the part passes the Inspection, it is fit for purpose and remains a "On condition" part until the next check.
So, if you have a 12 year old airframe that has a total time of (say) 1000 hours, blades that are (say) only 4 years old and an engine that is (say) 4 years old with 600 hours used then you can certainly save a fortune by having the 12 year Inspection, and not doing the Overhaul.
The important thing to remember is that regardless of the cost of the Inspection, your airframe will STILL only have a life of 2,200 hours. That's why I say that there's no point in having the Inspection done on an aircraft with 1,500 hours -- you'll have virtually the same labour costs, and a lot of the parts costs, but you'll end up with an aircraft with just 700 hours to run.
If you are lucky enough to come across a very good condition 12 year old R44 with out of phase engine and blades, then it is well worth considering.
Even if you have a R44 with 12 years on the engine and airframe, but less than a 1000 hours TT, it is STILL worth looking at. For PRIVATE use, the Lycoming engine's life can be extended beyond 12 years, so the big expense will be the blades.
If you can find second hand blades (not easy), you could be looking at a saving of over £70,000 to get your aircraft airworthy again for 12 years. OK, you'll always have to buy blades when they get to 12 years, but if you want to budget your costs and phase the big spending times, this is a good thing.
All this is only really relevant to private pilots who fly less than 100 hours a year -- but I'd bet that this will apply to most of the people who actually own R44s in the UK.
In summary, Valve Guide, you are absolutely correct and it is the same in the UK, the USA, and all over the law-abiding aviation world.
Hope this helps,
Big Ls.