The recent debonding event happened about 20 miles from here and was one of my friends machines. The scenario was the pilot was on approach to the airport, felt vibrations and lost rotor RPM.
Entered an auto, but found still had some power and did a low powered "auto". Bad news was that the clear spot he picked short of the airfield was actually a nest of power lines (The airport is right next to major electricity sub station with both high tension and 240 volt lines every where. Not a bright place for them but the airport was there first
Anyway, clipped a lone wire just above the ground and probably took out the tail rotor. At some point the aircraft started rotating and settled on the skids while rotating and proceded to thrash itself to bits. Both pilot and passenger walked away, though the pilot had some squashed vertebrae, I'm told.
As for the use of WD 40 etc. It's use is ubiquitous here. Mostly its used on the leading of blades to prevent corrosion because of the high salt content and very high humidity in the air. If you use nothing the blades rapidly develop corrosion on the D Spar or on the skin where the paint has worn off.
Now whether or not the operator used WD 40, one has to bear in mind that there are at least 6 R44s (and several have been through rebuilds so are on second or third sets of blades)operating in this area and several R22s. Most use WD 40 (so do the local Bell operators as well) and of the 10,000s of hours the local sets of blades have had up on them over the last say ten years there has been one blade debond here (I don't know where the other blade mentioned in the CASA report was) That blade was getting close to its 2200 hours I think. They were put new on that machine only about two years ago so they have seen plenty of use in a short time.
I would have to say that with all due respect to Mr. Zuckerman, recalling events that happened in 1952 and using them as evidence for or against current practice is a bit of a long bow to draw. The bonding agents were probably not even invented then. Similarly putting your ideas on one forum and then quoting that forum as a source of evidence against a practice is also a pretty rude trick. Your negative comments on the Vertical Reference forum merely echo your statements here and yours were the only ones backing your statements.
I'm not trying to be smart or nasty just trying to keep an even keel on the debate. You may after all be right. But your evidence is not yet that convincing.
Anyway, the obvious answer is to contact Robinson and get their word on it. I have written to them and will post the answer when they write back.