Robinson Helicopter Company

The company was founded in 1973 by Frank Robinson, a former employee of Bell Helicopter and Hughes Helicopters. Since delivering its first helicopter in 1979, Robinson Helicopter has produced over 12,000 aircraft. Production in 2014 dropped to 329 aircraft. In 2015, Robinson produced one R22, four or five R44s, and one or two R66s per week, and contracted with Rolls-Royce to supply 100 RR300 turbines per year for 10 years for the R66. The factory can produce up to 1,000 helicopters per year. In 2024, Robinson bought Ascent Aerosystems, a maker of drones for the government & military. == Products ==

• Robinson R22 • Robinson R44 • Robinson R66 • Robinson R88 Robinson also produces the Robinson Helipad, a modular helipad designed for light helicopters. Image:flight.rob.arp.750pix.jpg|Robinson R22 Beta Image:robinson r44 raven2 helicopter arp.jpg|Robinson R44 Raven II Image:R66 at RHC.jpg|Robinson R66 Turbine == Mast-bumping controversy ==

Mast bumping is a dangerous condition helicopters can encounter when load on the helicopter's rotor assembly is temporarily reduced during flight (for example, during a low-g maneuver or turbulent weather). The reduction of load triggers excessive flapping in the helicopter's rotor blades, which can cause the entire rotor assembly to shear off the aircraft. Robinson helicopters use a patented design for their main rotor, with a triple-hinged rotor assembly "teetering" atop an extended mast. Several Robinson helicopters have been destroyed in incidents where mast bumping was determined to have occurred. A May 2018 article in the Los Angeles Times reported Robinson helicopters seemed to have increased susceptibility to mast-bumping incidents. In 2016, the New Zealand Transport Accident Investigation Commission (TAIC) released a report summarizing 14 mast-bumping accidents or incidents involving Robinson helicopters in New Zealand, in which 18 people died. The TAIC report noted that "Helicopters with semirigid, two-bladed main rotor systems, as used on Robinson helicopters, are particularly susceptible to mast bumping in "low-G" conditions". In 2018, a U.S. lawsuit accused the Robinson Helicopter Company of defective manufacturing after a mast-bumping event caused the in-flight breakup of an R66 helicopter. ==References==