Robinson Helicopter has delivered its 1000th R66 turbine helicopter, less than a decade after it was certified. An outgrowth of the piston-powered, four-seat R44, the R66 uses the Rolls-Royce RR300 turbine and Robinson’s trademark two-blade teetering rotor system. The RR300 is itself a derivative of the Allison 250 turbine, an engine that Robinson says has never had a reported in-flight failure in 1.2 million R66 flight hours. “This accomplishment demonstrates a level of reliability that exceeds EASA’s stringent requirements for single-engine helicopters. The R66 has also risen to the challenges of flying to the North Pole and circumnavigating the globe multiple times,” the company says.
This is a companion discussion topic for the original entry at https://www.avweb.com/aviation-news/robinson-delivers-1000th-r66