TORRANCE, Calif., 23 Feb. 2012. The 100th Robinson Helicopter Co. R66 Turbine five-seat commercial helicopter rolled off the Robinson assembly line in Torrance, Calif., in December one year and two months after the company's newest helicopter received certification from the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in Washington.
The R66 is Robinson's largest and most powerful helicopter, and has a version specially designed for police and other law-enforcement applications. The R66 Turbine has a two-bladed rotor system, T-bar cyclic, and an open interior cabin configuration. Robinson also offers versions of the R66 with floats, as well as an external cargo hook. Robinson specializes in civil light helicopters.
The Robinson R66 Turbo helicopter has a seven-hole instrument panel with standard radio and transponder helicopter avionics. Cockpit options include GPS, GPS/COM, or GPS/NAV/COM; BOSE A20 aviation headsets with active noise reduction and Bluetooth communications interface; and a variety of Bendix/King and Garmin avionics upgrades.
Compared to the company's R44 helicopter, the R66 Turbine has increased reserve power, improved altitude performance, and large baggage compartment. The R66 Turbine Police Helicopter version has specialized law-enforcement equipment already installed and FAA approved.
The police version has the Rolls Royce 300 turbine engine, can loiter for three hours on station when fully fueled, cruises at speeds as fast as 144 miles per hour, is fitted with the FLIR Systems Ultra 8000 thermal-imaging camera in a gyro-stabilized gimbal, has a 500-Watt xenon lamp that emits a 15-20 million candlepower high-intensity focusable beam, and a 10-inch sunlight-visible color LCD fold-down display.
To date Robinson Helicopter has received more than 380 R66 orders -- more than 70 percent of those from foreign countries. The 100th R66 off the assembly line went to National Airways Corp. (NAC), Robinson's longtime dealer in South Africa.
For more information contact Robinson Helicopter online at www.robinsonheli.com.
