Bye Bye Jet ranger

[whatsarunway]

Is anyone buying the jetranger now that the Hydraulic 44 and the ec 120 are on the market
If So why?

[JWP]

No, and here's the evidence. Since 1st Jan 98, these are the figures for new imports to UK and Eire..
Bell 206 - 4
EC120 - 10
Robinson R.44 - 52

Of the four 206s, the most recent two are in Eire and one of those has already been replaced by a 109C.

[EESDL]

Obviously people with more money than sense (or a very good accountant)!:-)

[piston broke]

I suspect that in the words of a wise man of a former era, "The death of the JetRanger is greatly exaggerated".

Sales of a machine have little direct effect on its life as a useful contributor to aviation. After all, reports of the "death" of the DC3 upon closure of Douglas' production line in 1940-whenever would have been hugely premature, not so?

So although the venerable JetRanger is as old as the Austin Cambridge and a closer relative than most realise too, it is far from dead. It remains the worlds most numerous, most reliable, most trusted and most popular of light helicopters.

The EC120 is a fine machine for sure but only time will tell if it sells in numbers that approach a hundredth of the B206s made. But what competition is a "Hydraulic 44" fer chrissake???? Thats like comparing a Lada thats been inexplicably fitted with with power steering (can you imagine???) to a Jaguar.

I reckon the good old 206 will be with us for years to come, as was its honourable predecessor the B47, and probably long after the flimsy, unforgiving and unloved Robbos are gone where they belong. What else could ever be as reliable, as affordable, as repairable, as practical and as long-lived as a Bell 206?

Apart from a DC3...


And I love 'em both. SO?



[This message has been edited by piston broke (edited 19 September 2000).]

[whatsarunway]

44 compared to a jetranger
44 is quicker and cheaper by a long shot
private guys dont want to pay hundreads of thousands of pounds for one (tiny and cramped) seat (with no view)
as for the 120 proving itself
i fly it full time and after 400 hours we have orderd 3 more and sold all rangers

120 kts full fuel full pax
great view longer warranty and cheaper?
not a hard choice
it has been aog for 1 day since new

not bad

[greenarrow]

120 with full fuel and full pax load?
I take it,it's in C of G ?
What company!
Just to make sure I do not by a used a/c from them.

[elpirata]

it is my experience that a R44 is not faster than a jetranger,

I have never flown a R44 at max AUW at 120 knots and been able to maintain height, I have found that as long as you stay within max continuous power that 110 knots is about the fastest you can go maybe 115 at a push.

am I the only one that thinks this??



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El Pirata

[JoePilot]

The numbers on the dial are the same just the currency is different:
B206 MPH
R44 Kts

Same as VAT more or less!
JOE http://www.pprune.org/ubb/NonCGI/tongue.gif