Fascinating article on Robinson Helicopters, its struggles during the recession, and its hopes for their first turbine-powered helicopter, the Robinson R66.
I had a chance to see the tiny Rolls-Royce R330 engine at AOPA Expo last year, which is rated at about 300 HP.
A new R44 is about $500,000, while the R66 is expected to be about $1 million.
I wonder if their decline in sales is due to potential buyers waiting for the R66 to be available.
Robinson has been so successful in the past few years that Bell Helicopter dropped the 206 Jetranger after making it for 40 years. The R44 is about 1/3 the price of the 206, and costs 1/3 as much to operate.
