I do have some inside knowledge, all I can say things are very advanced when it comes to engines etc etc. I really would love to tel you more but I can't. I really really hope it gets there ( i can see no reason why it wouldnt ) as it will be a game changer for a personal transport helicopter

I keep reading that term about this helicopter in various places around the interweb. How is it going to be a "game changer"?

They are claiming A109 level performance numbers. If one could acquire and operate that level of performance at R66 price points I could see that as a game changer. Other than that it's just a clean sheet of paper with best of the best features (thinking optimistically) in which case the operating costs will remain where you might expect them to (quite high).

They seem to be targeting the ultra-rich private owner market, in which case operating costs are not very relevant. The R66 and 505 are roughly $1 million but this will probably be $3 million or more, like the AW119. And I hope they create a nice luxury VFR aircraft not overly focused on "the mission". Like how the Cabri G2 feels so luxurious compared to any Robinson (or any other cheaper helicopter).

There seems to be many gloomy despondent posters

but I wish the HH the very best ,what’s there seems to fill the void it’s going to be a uphill struggle but lots of startups are like than

looks a nice heli it’s got a fenestrom

good luck

looks like it will fill the void between a 407 and a 429 quite nicely, sans 2 seats.

If it's a 'personal transport helicopter' why does it need 5 seats?

because people have families
maybe you dont Crab !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

But how big is that market? How many ‘ultra-rich’ want to fly themselves?

If I was ‘ultra-rich’, I would want to start off with 2 engines and 2 pilots.*











*Then make sure that they were working and/or trained properly.

Many ‘ultra rich’ tend not to fly the helicopter themselves and expect an “all weather” aircraft rather than a VFR only plaything. It will be interesting to see how this aircraft is marketed.

Unless you live around mountains a VFR restriction is not such a big limitation for helicopters. Many places around the world don't get many VFR no-fly helicopter days... Unlike fixed wing.

Of all helicopter hours flown every year what percentage is under IFR? Down this way it would be about 1% at a wild guess.

We often fly under IFR (and in IMC). Here in the UK it’s by no means unusual. This new helicopter is a UK project.

Makes sense for some activities such as offshore work.

Most helicopter work down here consists of ag, utility, tourism (those were the days) and transport to off-airport locations... so IFR not really applicable in those cases.

There are many owner pilots around, and this market is mainly single-engine VFR. Outside of the UK most of the world has pretty decent weather so around here even 1% would be high.
The market is heavily biased to piston aircraft then single turbines like the gazelle, 206 with the 407 being a popular choice as well.
If a modern 5-seater can be made that is in the legacy 206 money range, then they may well have a global market, presuming that they are able to properly certify it to satisfy global authorities.
Some owners do like their aircraft to work a bit so not being certified for commercial operations could limit its appeal.

Not only offshore. I have flown in the UK corporate sector for almost twenty years and I’d soon be out of a job if I couldn’t fly under IFR. It’s by no means unknown to plan a fully IFR route and by no means out of the ordinary to be prepared to change from VFR to IFR where necessary once en route.

The trouble is, the marketing message of this proposed new machine is naively directed to this utopian vision that you wake up on a Friday morning, kiss your gorgeous wife goodbye for the day, gather a few minions around you and waft off to some 'meetings' around the country. You return later in the afternoon (another million richer, of course), dismiss your team, kiss your wife again and thank her for the lovely supper she has prepared for you. The next morning, you wake up, think 'A trip to somewhere delightful for lunch, methinks'. So you fire up the machine and off you go again.

Reality is somewhat different. On Friday you wake up and even though you've planned the trip for about a week beforehand, the promised blue skies have disappeared and it's low scud and a 40mph wind. And it's raining. Even though it's August So now you have to either delay your departure (you already told your team to make their own way, in case this happened) or drive. And on Saturday, the delightful restaurant is already full. And the bloke next door has put his horses in the field on your boundary and you know will moan, the dog needs taking to the vet, or there's a delivery by Amazon due or whatever.

I do about 25 hours a year myself and my son another 15 - a local flying school will do 60ish, which helps with the running costs. I believe that I am fairly typical, if not on the high side of utilisation of 'truly private owners', in the UK at least.

So while the HX50 is an interesting proposition, I'm not sure it would tempt me out of a legacy 206. Maybe I'm not the target market but in 25 years of flying helicopters, I'm not sure I've met many others that would be either...

Thing is, there is a great big world outside of the UK (and US for that matter), where authorities take very different views of instrument flying.
For example, around here, you can only fly IF between licensed and equipped airfields, off field is VFR only.
You may also not legally change from VFR flight to IFR - Their view is it encourages pushing the limits, instead of planning the flight properly from the start.
So, when all you can do is fly airport to airport, a helicopter is not the best tool for that job, so next to no one flying rotorwing will bother with IF certification.

206jock - well done for injecting a much needed dose of reality:ok:

If you buy a VFR only helicopter for use in the UK, you won't get a huge use out of it, especially if you are limited on when you can actually get away from work/home to fly it. When the skies are clear in the SW, there is GA everywhere but as soon as the weather comes in a bit it is only GA with IMC capability you see and hear.

A rather different discussion, seeing that most single engined helicopters are not allowed to fly IMC in UK.

Thankfully, we are allowed to do more here in UK. But anyway, all of the points you raise limit the likely usage rate of a helicopter.

Think you are missing the point. If it is aimed at the brigade that would buy a Ferrari and fly it as often as a Ferrari goes out. Look at the number of A109's that are owned by wealthy people that are 20 years plus and have less than 2000 hours on them ! If these helicopters are so bad why are there more R44's and R66's than almost any other type, none of which are VFR machines !
A helicopter in lieu of / plus a supercar doesn't get flown every day and doesn't need to be it is there because someone wants it on the odd occasion

Is it? That's not the impression I got from the present advertising, which makes me think it's meant to be a low cost machine.

Do you mean IFR machines?