Robinson R66 (merged threads)
 

i have heard that robinson has now purchased the engines for the 'r66'. they cost $275,000 and the 'r66' will be a 5 seater

they will offer a turbine heli for $700,000

QUOTE FROM HELI EXPO 05

"You're all going to ask if there's an R66," Robinson said with a smile. His assumption was confirmed by the scattered chuckles among the standing-room-only crowd. "Well, not yet. We have actually spent a lot of time on some preliminary designs for an R66, which will be a five-place helicopter, and that all looks good. But we're still having a little bit of a problem deciding for sure which powerplant to use."
Robinson and his engineers have looked at a number of engines to use in a larger aircraft, including small turbines and a small diesel, but they have yet to find anything suitable. He was quick to add that even if the decision to go forward with an R66 were made today, it would be several years before the aircraft would be available. "You all had better stick with your Raven 2s a little bit longer," Robinson quipped.

R66...interesting.
Hope ole Frank gets rid of that ugly as mast, adds a few more blades on the rotorhead and does add a turbine to it.
Hughesy

Hughesy
About time you became a real Pilot and got some two bladed time under your belt instead of swanning around in your E Model:ok:
Hope you are well mate:ok:
How is your dose of the :D going?

Hey Dis
Im all good man...cheers for asking.
You should have told me your momma had the :D I would have stayed away:E
Yip..sweet as up here in the Arctic....temp dropping though.
Suppose your 130 isnt a real heli then? :ok: :ok:

Hughesy

Just been attending the factory course, and its a toss up between a turbine and diesel piston. If they can get the weight down, it will be a diesel.

When I was at the course last month they talked about turbine, then diesel. Then said a diesel was preferred, but too heavy, and unless the weight could be brought down...

And it looks like they're sticking with the sperm-like contour.

I did a course earlier in the year too and Tim Tucker was saying that Robinson was throwing a lot of money at Mercedes Benz to develop a diesel for the R66 and also Rolls Royce to see if they can develop a hybrid C20/C30 (C25??) turbine engine that has lots of power in reserve and has a longer TBO. :hmm:

looks like we have a while to wait then...

I do hope they've put a bit of thought into the design and shape of it and make it easier on the eye, shorten that mast by a foot and put some decent luggage space in there.

Or will it be as unimaginative as widening the current R44 rear cabin by 20 inches and cram another seat in there.:yuk:

Can somebody from the Agusta design team please have a word in Franks ear with a few suggestions about the shape!!!!!:ok:

it will be very interesting to have a crystall ball and see where robinson is in 10 years time

choose your option

a) R66 is a cheap turbine, massive success, eurocopter sh*t themselves and lose loads of business. R66 revolutionises the industry, like the r22 did

b) R66 never gets off the ground because they cant find the right engine

c) R66 gets built but is such a pig, with awful performance that it fails miserably

d) R66 is released, is reasonably sucessful, but after a spate of crashes, is taken out of service

e) R66 released, moderately sucessfull, Bell buys Robinson, frank retires

whats everyone's bet on this one?!

I would bet on Frank and his team everytime
 

R-77 it will be. Rolls turbine and 5 seats. Faster and cheaper than an EC120.

Less than a million $ for sure. Unveiled at HAI, March 2008, ready to go.

Can someone please explain to me the advantages of a diesel engine for an aircraft the size of an B206? :confused:

I understand that Diesel is more fuel efficient, produces more torque at lower speeds due to the uniqe combustion process called "Compression Ignition" and is more durable than a regular petrol engine. But my question is why not just take the step up and go turbine?

They're smaller, and have a larger power to weight ratio than their reciprocating cousins, not to mention reliable.

Is the only reason the cost? Surely 5 POB is a good enough reason to have something you can rely on. My brief search (very brief) showed no other diesel powered helicopters?

The design, well, I think Mr. Robinson has taken his fetish for tadpoles a little too far! :}

all frank has to do

is get rid of the stupid mast ad some jet ranger skid gear and put a gazelle main rotor system on it. sweet lookin chooper then.

oh forgot! put a bloody TURBINE! in it. dont dick around with a diesel. :ugh:

I'd say putting a diesel in it would be a ballsy move by Robinson considering there are hardly very many airbourne in aeroplanes now.... I reckon Robinson will release a turbine version first and spend a lot longer trying to get a reliable diesel sorted, I think they have learnt from the past and will be very reluctant to move away from an airframe design/shape that they know works............. By god those 44s are ugly! but they are nice to fly, I know I'd rather have an ugly machine that handles well than a hottie that flys like a pig.
A flat floor wouldn't go astray either.... with perhaps removable rear seats like a squirrel maybe?
:}

Why R66 and not R55?
 

Now if this new helicopter is supposedly going to be a five seater, surely it should rather be called a Robinson R55. After all, the R22 is a two seater and the R44 a four seater...

All you experts out there telling Frank what to do! He is a hell of a lot smarter than any of us, besides it is his company, let the man do as he pleases. Start your own helicopter company if you want a certain design.
I myself think that it will be a damn good machine going off his last two attempts. I also guestimate that it may be powered by the new Lycoming IO-580-B1A, until his deisel gets certifed. I am also thinking maybe a six seater, as you would not design a whole new helicopter design for only one seat.
A wider R44 design called the R88.
It all comes down to cost and weight. Turbines may make too expensive for the grass roots pilot, that is how he designs his helicopters, a cheap people mover for the masses.

Never said it was going to be a "bad machine", In fact without re reading all the posts, im sure no one else did either.
Just casually mentioned to get rid of that "ugly as mast"....among other stuff.
:hmm: :ok:

Hughesy

Yes agreed the mast isnt the best but me thinks that the life of the tail boom may and I say may be a tad less shorter (no pun intended) than what Frankie had envisioned if he was to shorten it.....but hey at least he has the brain to put a cowl around it unlike the hideous enstrom...

To Hughesy,
No agression in my post at all, sorry if it came out that way, was actually trying to be funny, guess I better try harder.
I am also a MD500 man, currently flying E model also.
Cheers.