A rare driver, having got into a long traffic jam, did not complain that his car was deprived of the ability to rise into the air and fly over the traffic jam. Especially annoying is the overabundance of transport in the case when time is more valuable than money. This situation happens to people who manage large amounts of money, for whom being late for a business meeting can turn into huge losses. As a rule, successful businessmen buy expensive cars. And here is the solution. The Robinson helicopter, in terms of its cost, fits well into the price range of an executive class car, is not inferior to a Cadillac in terms of comfort, and traffic problems are unknown to it.
Design
Aircraft for personal use in the West appeared a long time ago, but before they were available only to very rich people. In the eighties of the twentieth century, the American company Robinson Helicopter caught the prospect of the small private aviation market and began developing a helicopter model,able to fill the consumer niche of the middle class. In fact, it was supposed to be a "flying car" in which, in addition to the pilot, three or four passengers with luggage could fit. In America, people often travel in their cars, covering distances of up to a thousand kilometers, and Robinson calculated for such a distance. The helicopter, in addition to these requirements, according to the plan, had other important properties: easy controllability and learning to pilot, fuel economy, long engine life, ease of maintenance, reliability, safety and comfort. To meet all these conditions in one machine is not an easy task, and the company's design office had to work hard. It took almost a decade to develop the helicopter. In 1990, the Robinson helicopter of the first model R44 was generally ready, a couple of years later it was certified and was introduced to the small aircraft market.
Design Features
An analogy with a car comes to mind immediately after getting acquainted with the flight performance of an aircraft. The Robinson helicopter weighs just over a ton along with fuel, pilot, passengers and their luggage. This approximately corresponds to the curb weight of the Zhiguli. Fuel in the tanks fits 185 liters, which is enough for three to four and a half hours or 650 kilometers of flight. However, those who have had to deal with small aircraft in their lives know that it is not enough to fly to their destination, they still need to be able to land there. And that requires an airfield.(if the flight is by aircraft) or a suitable site (for a helicopter). The diameter of the Robinson's main rotor is slightly more than ten meters, the overall overall size is 11.75 m, but this does not mean that it is easy to land on any plane limited by this length, some more margin is needed. Nevertheless, the requirements for the landing conditions of this machine are simplified as much as possible due to another design feature - the propeller is located high, more than three meters above the ground, and the likelihood of it catching on some kind of obstacle is small. In other words, the Robinson helicopter does not need a specially prepared landing site.
Secrets of the power plant
The machine is built according to the classical scheme with one main propeller and one tail (compensation) propeller located on the beam. The power plant is located behind the cab and includes an engine with a gearbox. The type of motor, depending on the modification, can be IO-540 or O-540 Lycoming - in both cases, the power is slightly more than 260 horsepower; the number of cylinders is six. At the same time, the cabin of the helicopter is relatively quiet. The secret of low noise, long service life and high reliability of the power plant is redundancy, that is, power reserve. It works “at half strength”, does not tear, which, together with the interesting materials used (including composite ones), which provide low noise, and at the same time increased wear resistance, leads to very good results.
Management
There are few rotorcraft as obedient to the pilot as the Robinson. The helicopter is designed for one pilot, but if necessary, the passenger sitting to his right can take over the piloting. To do this, it is enough for him to turn the control knob (cyclic stroke) in his direction and use his own step and gala control lever, which both front seats are equipped with on the left. Not every light helicopter is equipped with dual control, but it is important for both safety and pilot training, which is often the owner of the machines.
Performance
Each aircraft is evaluated by experts on a set of objective indicators measured in numbers. Thus, the possibility of operating the machine in the northern latitudes or the tropics sets the temperature range in which the flight remains safe. For the considered technical sample, it is wide - from -30°C to +40°C, from which we can conclude that it can work almost throughout Russia. The cruising (that is, normal operating) speed of the Robinson helicopter is approximately equal to 110 miles per hour (in US units) or our 177 km / h, but can reach 190 in afterburner mode. Given the straightness of the trajectory, the advantages of air transport become clear. The maximum flight altitude, called the ceiling by aviators, reaches 4250 meters, but usually it goes lower, at one and a half thousand, at which the Robinson helicopter consumes the most fuel. Specifications vary by model anddegree of motor resource development.
Modifications
Robinson Helicopter in terms of production is difficult to compare with such "pillars" of the American aircraft industry as Boeing, Sikorsky or McDonnell-Douglas. The company achieved commercial success in a narrowly defined segment of the small aircraft market. However, this does not mean that its products are intended only for private buyers, they are also purchased by government agencies (for example, for the police), and not only American ones. To cover the largest consumer spectrum, seven modifications of the Robinson helicopter are produced:
- "Astro" - equipped with an O-540 engine.
- "Raven" is a commercial model with a reinforced O-540-F1B5 engine on a metal skid that can withstand landing on particularly hard surfaces.
- "Clipper" - float version (hydro-helicopter).
- "Raven II" - has an injection engine IO-540-AE1A5. In addition, the propeller blades are made wider. Navigation capabilities have also been expanded to allow flight in limited or zero visibility.
- "Clipper II" - the same "Raven II" in hydro version.
- "I-F-Ar Trainer" - as the name implies, a training model equipped with all the necessary equipment.
- "Polis II" is a car for the police, equipped accordingly.
Comfort and safety
A flight in a Robinson helicopter is little different from a trip tonormal car on a good road. The seats are comfortable, with built-in luggage boxes under them. Glazing also pleases, and not only the pilot (for him, this issue is of utilitarian importance: the better the view, the easier it is to navigate in space), but also passengers who are just interested.
As for the danger of breaking, it certainly exists, but its probability is much less than when moving on other modes of transport. Even an engine failure most often does not lead to tragic consequences - this is a feature not only of the Robinson (and it is very light), but in general of all helicopters capable of making relatively soft landings due to the inertial rotation of the main rotor (it is called autorotation).
Most often, cars of this type get into accidents due to insufficient training of pilots or improper operation.
Secondary market
The factory price of "Robinson R-44" in the US is about $300,000. Taking into account dealer profits and customs clearance costs, it reaches 450,000 in Russia. Such a high cost encourages potential owners to look for ways to save money by purchasing the necessary equipment in the secondary market, where the purchase can be made by paying from 270 to 400 thousand US dollars. Of the ten rotorcraft, nine are sold in this way, and the Robinson helicopter is no exception. The photo of the proposed device says little, much more important is the totality of data on the motor resources of the nodes and the general age. The time between overhauls cannotexceed 2200 hours (by the way, it is not cheap - you will have to pay about $ 60 thousand). You should also pay attention to the remaining resource of each of the units, especially the most expensive ones. The fact is that aircraft manufacturers around the world receive the main profit not from the sale of equipment, but from its further supply with components and consumables.
