The Robinson Appreciation Thread

[TheGreenAnger]

Great Robbie channel

[TheGreenAnger]

How Frank Robinson designed the tail rotor. Really good article...

tail rotor.JPG (22.31 KiB) Viewed 2071 times

https://www.timtuckershelicopterworld.c ... nd-history

[G~Man]

The last Robinson I flew: It had a hard landing on a pinnacle and I did the recovery:

.

[TheGreenAnger]

The last Robinson I flew: It had a hard landing on a pinnacle and I did the recovery:

.100_1438.jpg

Today I had my first Robinson "failure experience" on start up with just a dull clunk when turning the key! Swapped aircraft but I would like to known what the issue was.

[G-CPTN]

Safety device - if it doesn't start it cannot crash.

[TheGreenAnger]

Safety device - if it doesn't start it cannot crash.

Nothing more than a dead battery it seems. Received text which I missed before to confirm it started with no issues after a battery change.

[TheGreenAnger]

Tier 1 Engineering announced that it has successfully completed an airport-to-airport flight with its all-electric helicopter design. The aircraft, a modified Robinson R44, flew between California’s Jacqueline Cochran Regional Airport (TRM) and Palm Springs International Airport (PSP) on Saturday. The company is calling the trip “the first helicopter flight between airfields solely by electric power.”

“Progress in the development of all-electric propulsion is similar to other periods of significant advance in aviation,” said Tier 1 Engineering President Glen Dromgoole. “The first aircraft flew short distances, and many people were afraid to ride in the new flying machines. At the start of the Jet Age, there was widespread skepticism about the commercial viability of the turbine engine. Today’s historic flight demonstrates the potential of all-electric rotorcraft and we are thrilled by this achievement.”

Tier 1 Engineering reported that the flight was conducted in collaboration with medical research and development company Lung Biotechnology. The aircraft that flew on Saturday is Tier 1’s third-generation “e-R44,” which the company says was designed to “deliver manufactured organs for transplant” by Lung Biotechnology parent company United Therapeutics. According to Tier 1, the model uses quick-swap battery technology that allows battery packs to be changed in 15 minutes.

https://www.avweb.com/aviation-news/ele ... -airfields

[G~Man]

The aircraft, a modified Robinson R44, flew between California’s Jacqueline Cochran Regional Airport (TRM) and Palm Springs International Airport (PSP) on Saturday. The company is calling the trip “the first helicopter flight between airfields solely by electric power.”

Hardly groundbreaking---it is only 21 nm.

[TheGreenAnger]

The aircraft, a modified Robinson R44, flew between California’s Jacqueline Cochran Regional Airport (TRM) and Palm Springs International Airport (PSP) on Saturday. The company is calling the trip “the first helicopter flight between airfields solely by electric power.”

Hardly groundbreaking---it is only 21 nm.

From small acorns great Robinsons are born (or something like that)!

[ribrash]

Hands up, who would get in a battery powered whisk ? I wouldn,t get in a real one.

[TheGreenAnger]

Hands up, who would get in a battery powered whisk ? I wouldn,t get in a real one.

So no Mosquito for you then!

[ribrash]

Hands up, who would get in a battery powered whisk ? I wouldn,t get in a real one.

So no Mosquito for you then!

You couldn,t pay me enough money.

[FD2]

Frank Robinson


https://helihub.com/2022/11/13/frank-ro ... 1930-2022/

[TheGreenAnger]

Frank Robinson


https://helihub.com/2022/11/13/frank-ro ... 1930-2022/

RIP Frank.

[FD2]

CAA refuses coroner's recommendations after fatal Robinson helicopter crash

Debbie Jamieson05:00, Feb 11 2023 https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/129450 ... o--coroner

The Civil Aviation Authority’s refusal to implement any of a coroner’s recommendations following a fatal helicopter crash is “appalling”, the mother of a dead pilot says.

Over The Top helicopter company owner Louisa (Choppy) Patterson’s son and his flight instructor were killed when their Robinson helicopter crashed near Queenstown in 2015.

Stephen Combe, 42, and James Patterson-Gardner, 18, are amongst 19 people killed in Robinson Helicopter crashes in New Zealand.

During a two-week inquest into Combe and Patterson-Gardner’s deaths in 2021, Coroner Alexandra Cunninghame looked to find ways to reduce the chances of more deaths in similar circumstances.

She made several recommendations, including installing mandatory black boxes – or cockpit video recording systems – in helicopters, undertaking more studies on Robinson Helicopters, and restricting the speed and times when Robinsons should be flown.

However, six months after the recommendations were released, the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) confirmed it was refusing to implement any.

Patterson said it was appalling.

“There will be another helicopter flight break up before the matter will be addressed.

“The coroner heard from several witnesses on the subject and made a considered decision and put a lot of thought into it and came up with the recommendations, and they have elected to ignore them all, which is outrageous.”

She was particularly stunned the CAA would not mandate the use of black boxes in helicopters.

The Transport Accident Investigation Commission (TAIC) had also recommended they become mandatory and government departments such as Fire and Emergency New Zealand and the Department of Conservation required them on staff flights.

“There’s absolutely no reason why the CAA can’t mandate them,” Patterson said.

“They’re a government department. They should be taking the recommendation from the coroner and from the TAIC and they have chosen not to.”

A CAA spokesperson said the organisation promoted the use of video cockpit recording systems, but did had not made them mandatory.

It was the CAA director’s view that other recommendations were achieved through other means, or could lead to other serious safety risks, they said.

“The decision ... reflects the technical complexity of helicopter operations and the lack of hard data to support the recommendations.”

The CAA concluded that the United States-based Robinson Helicopter Company already provided clear advice on the conditions in which the helicopters should be flown, including turbulence and high winds.

Restricting the velocity that should not be exceeded while flying Robinson Helicopters in mountainous areas was inconsistent with the manufacturer’s operating procedures and could have unintended consequences in cases such as engine failure.

“The CAA has not made these decisions lightly and made submissions to the coroner accordingly.

What parameters would be monitored by a flight data recorder? Nr, Engine RPM., Airspeed, Torque, EOT, TOP? Difficult and very expensive to fit - would increase the price too much. Realistically the best thing would be to install a camera above the pilot which monitors the instrument panel and the speed of the pilot's actions/reactions to events.

[TheGreenAnger]

What parameters would be monitored by a flight data recorder? Nr, Engine RPM., Airspeed, Torque, EOT, TOP? Difficult and very expensive to fit - would increase the price too much. Realistically the best thing would be to install a camera above the pilot which monitors the instrument panel and the speed of the pilot's actions/reactions to events.

+1

The camera option is realistic.

[TheGreenAnger]

The CAA concluded that the United States-based Robinson Helicopter Company already provided clear advice on the conditions in which the helicopters should be flown, including turbulence and high winds.

Restricting the velocity that should not be exceeded while flying Robinson Helicopters in mountainous areas was inconsistent with the manufacturer’s operating procedures and could have unintended consequences in cases such as engine failure.

“The CAA has not made these decisions lightly and made submissions to the coroner accordingly.

Flight when surface winds exceed 25 knots, including gusts, is prohibited. 2) Flight when surface wind gust spreads exceed 15 knots is prohibited. 3) Continued flight in moderate, severe, or extreme turbulence is prohibited.

It is quite simple. I must admit that I am beginning to wonder if there's an element of hysteria in NZ in some quarters ref. Robinson aircraft. Good to see the NZ CAA good sense in this case.



Flying in mountainous regions in high winds brings with it the risk of turbulence no matter what the aircraft flown, and sensible precautions should be taken, up to and including let's not go there today.

[tango15]

I was working at Sywell on Wednesday on matters completely unrelated to aviation, but I did notice several of the beasts committing aviation during what was a CAVOK day.
Not much other activity though, and I hear that the Blades aerobatic team has been disbanded.

[TheGreenAnger]

I was working at Sywell on Wednesday on matters completely unrelated to aviation, but I did notice several of the beasts committing aviation during what was a CAVOK day.
Not much other activity though, and I hear that the Blades aerobatic team has been disbanded.

Took a couple of months off from the helicopter due to "cost of living considerations and the normal winter hiatus" but am resuming on Tuesday.

I wasn't aware of the Blades demise but yes there it is in black and white... it is sad to hear because skills atrophy without use and not flying at the highest level like The Blades do will soon "blunt" the very best these very skilled pilots can achieve. I have had the pleasure of seeing them fly multiple times and they were superb, it marvelous to see pilots like these at the top of their game.

The UK’s 2Excel Aviation has called time on its aerobatic display team The Blades, citing factors such as global economic pressures and the reduced number of domestic air shows for creating “an unsustainable business model”.

“With heavy hearts, 2Excel Aviation is announcing that 2022 was the final full season for The Blades,” the company said on 23 January, adding: “the decision has not been taken lightly”.

“In the best interests of all our employee-owners, we needed to take action and redeploy our resources elsewhere within our fast-growing company,” it says.

“The challenges to global economies, the worsening cost-of-living crisis and the protracted hit to disposable incomes this is causing have exacerbated the challenges facing The Blades,” 2Excel says. “This comes amid the continued degradation of the air show circuit, with more and more events being lost, meaning fewer opportunities to display and showcase our sponsors to the public.”

“During the 17 flying seasons The Blades delivered, millions of people saw the team display and thousands have ridden onboard our aircraft,” says 2Excel co-founder and director Andy Offer: one of the team’s original pilots. “The concept emerged from the many requests I had during my time in the [Royal Air Force’s] Red Arrows to take members of the public flying,” he notes.

The company says “consultations are ongoing” with The Blades’ pilots and support staff, noting that they have “desirable skillsets we hope to retain and redeploy elsewhere within the business as we seek to meet increasing demand for 2Excel’s innovative aerospace services”.

Now describing itself as a “mini-prime” which provides services including flight-testing for partners such as Leonardo UK, 2Excel began its operations by founding The Blades.

“They debuted in 2006 and have been the one constant during the company’s expansion from just four aeroplanes and five people to the 30 aircraft and almost 500 employees the group comprises today,” 2Excel says.

The team displayed using Extra 300 two-seat aerobatic aircraft, operated from Sywell aerodrome in Hertfordshire.

https://www.flightglobal.com/aerospace/ ... 50.article

[CharlieOneSix]

From TGA's Flight article:

The team displayed using Extra 300 two-seat aerobatic aircraft, operated from Sywell aerodrome in Hertfordshire.

Lovely airfield, Sywell. Used to hangar the boss's Bo105 there in the 70s when maintenance was required. Pity they've moved it from Northamptonshire to Hertfordshire.