Waypoints

Editor in Chief Thomas B. Haines has been covering the general aviation industry for 15 years.

Every industry in its infancy spawns a few notable pioneers. For general aviation such names as Clyde Cessna, Walter Beech, William Piper, and Al Mooney come to mind. In the automotive world we think of such names as Henry Ford, R.E. Olds, and William and James Packard.

As an industry matures, the pioneers seem to get lost among corporate buyouts and restructurings. And yet, even in a mature industry, every once in a while someone comes forward with a new idea or an unconventional way of doing business that gets everyone's attention.

Certainly one who seems to have earned the title of modern-day pioneer turned icon is Frank Robinson. By any measure, Robinson's company, Robinson Helicopter, is a success. In 2000 it delivered 40 percent more helicopters than the year before — that's more helicopters than all of the other North American rotorcraft manufacturers combined. Only the European consortium of Eurocopter comes close with about 300 deliveries, compared to Robinson's 390. In fact, in 1989, when general aviation deliveries were really in the tank, the Robinson R22 was the most popular light aircraft in the world, outselling not only every other brand of helicopter but every brand of light airplane as well.

Like many pioneering companies, Robinson Helicopter Company (RHC) was started in a lowly place — Frank's living room. It was there in 1973 that he penned the first design, but that first design came about only after the large manufacturers rejected his idea for a small, low-cost helicopter.

Robinson, now 71, started his career in 1957 working for Cessna on the CH-1 Skyhook, a four-place helicopter that its manufacturer thought would conquer the world. It didn't. Robinson also worked for Kaman Aircraft, which makes heavy-lift helicopters, and then for Bell Helicopter where he earned a reputation as a tail-rotor expert. In 1969 he moved once again, this time to Hughes Helicopters, which we now know as MD Helicopters.

None of those big names was interested in Robinson's concept, so he resigned from Hughes and set about designing his own. The result was the now-venerable R22. The prototype was built in a tin hangar at Torrance Airport in Southern California. Robinson made the first flight test himself, in August 1975. The type certificate was granted in 1979 — six years start to finish. Today's designers may take some comfort in knowing that even 30 years ago development projects took a good long time.

Almost overnight, the R22 became the best-selling civil helicopter in the world. By September of last year, more than 3,100 R22s had been delivered to more than 50 countries. RHC is truly a global operation, with 200 dealers and service centers in those 50 countries.

Because of its efficiency and low cost, the R22 became the helicopter of choice for many flight schools. It is a light helicopter. Instructors often say if you can fly an R22, you'll have no problem flying other helicopters. It is indeed a challenging training helicopter, but once mastered, the R22 proves to be an efficient aircraft for personal transportation. Indeed, flying a larger helicopter with gobs of horsepower, sophisticated systems, and boosted controls seems easy after learning in the Robbie.

Meanwhile, Robinson, always the engineer and test pilot, couldn't rest on his laurels. In the mid-1980s, he began work on a four-seat helicopter, the R44. It was certificated in late 1992, with first deliveries early the next year. Not surprisingly, with even more utility than the R22, the R44 is an even bigger success. The one-thousandth R44 was delivered in February.

Things, however, have not always been so glowing inside RHC's brightly lit and model-of-efficiency factory in Torrance. The first customer R44 helicopter crashed in 1993, killing its occupants. As a result of the accident and because of the product liability situation in this country — particularly at that time — RHC took the dramatic step of stopping the sale of R44s in the United States and buying back those already delivered. Sales continued very successfully internationally. RHC has always been self-insured for product liability and, as a result, the company is adamant about safety and proper pilot training. As a result of the accident, RHC worked with the FAA on the development of a special federal aviation regulation regarding Robinson helicopters. Under the SFAR, pilots flying Robinsons and instructors teaching in them must meet certain requirements above and beyond what is required of those operating other helicopters.

The SFAR went into effect in 1995. That, combined with the product liability reform legislation that passed in 1994, spurred RHC to begin selling R44s in the United States again. Since then there has been only one fatal R44 accident in this country. Robinson claims that the R44 now has the best safety record of any helicopter. Speaking of safety, Robinson is often asked why he doesn't build a light turbine helicopter, which would seem to be more reliable. He disagrees. In fact, the in-flight engine failure rate for light turbines would be higher than his company has seen with its Lycoming piston engines, he believes. The bigger the turbine engine is, the more reliable and efficient it becomes, according to Robinson. And, as a corollary, light turbines are less reliable and less efficient. Derating the engine power on his helicopters helps to improve reliability, giving the engines the same TBO as when they are installed on an airplane.

Over the years, various special-mission versions of the R44 have evolved, including models especially configured for TV news gathering, police work, and fish spotting. Still, Robinson cannot sit still. (Earlier this year he tried scuba-diving for the first time.) Among the projects currently in the works is an expansion of RHC's modern 260,000-square-foot factory. Another 140,000 square feet are being add-ed to accommodate the higher production rates necessary to keep up with demand. Rather than increasing floor space and adding to the current roster of 800 employees, Robinson could decide to outsource the manufacturing of certain components. But previous experience in outsourcing did not satisfy him. "Then we're a slave to their delivery times and their quality," he comments. This is one vertically integrated company. Aside from the engines and avionics, RHC manufactures virtually every component that goes into its products, including the wooden shipping crates for sending them overseas.

Robinson's other big project is his plan to populate urban and suburban business parks with small rooftop helipads. He and his wife, Barbara, who handles public relations for the company, have such a helipad on their summer home on Whidbey Island, Washington. Robinson envisions a network of such helipads on the roofs of industrial buildings around metropolitan areas. Able to accommodate helicopters up to about 3,000 pounds, the pads would "spur a new surge in 'Point A to Point B' missions ideally suited to helicopters, like interplant travel, getting executives to the international airport during rush hour, and inspecting job sites in outlying areas. The possibilities are almost unlimited," he says. In most cases, existing buildings could handle the weight without reinforcement, the space is currently not utilized for anything else, and putting them on rooftops increases safety for the helicopter and those nearby.

Robinson has hired a full-time person to promote the idea to the business community, and he is hiring a civil engineer to help potential customers place the helipads and get through the inevitable zoning and other governmental issues that will crop up at each location. He is so committed to the concept that he will provide a helipad free to those who buy an R44 in the Los Angeles area, where he is testing the concept. "Our objective is to demonstrate that helicopter transportation is not only fast and convenient, but can also be practical, cost-efficient, and easy to implement."

Many of the suburban and rural airports we have today are a result of incessant barnstorming by William Piper, a tireless proponent of the idea that every community ought to have an airport in order to be connected to the rest of the world.

Like other pioneers, Robinson seems to have latched onto his own cause. If he's half as successful with it as he has been with his company, we'll soon see light helicopters abuzz over every city and undoubtedly many, many of them will carry the name "Robinson" on the side.

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