Robinson Helicopter Company
Founded in 1973 by Frank Robinson, Robinson Helicopter employs approximately 1000 employees and is currently the world's leading manufacturer of civil helicopters. In addition, Robinson has a factory overhaul program for older aircraft and conducts monthly safety courses for helicopter flight instructors and maintenance technicians. A network of more than 400 service centers of which 126 are authorized dealers provide world-wide service and support.
Robinson is an engineering company that places great emphasis on research and development. Robinson's latest model, the R66 Turbine, was FAA certified on 25 October 2010 and is Robinson's largest and most powerful helicopter. The R66, like its predecessors the R22 and R44 was designed to perform as well or better than its competitors but for a lot less money.
Research continues on the R22 and R44 models to enhance performance and further minimize maintenance. Some of the more recent developments include the pilot-side avionics console, air conditioning and LED technology for strobe and navigation lights. The R44 is offered in a variety of configurations, including the Clipper, outfitted with fixed or pop-out floats, the Police Helicopter, which is fully equipped for airborne law enforcement and the Newscopter specifically designed for high quality live television broadcasting.
Located in Southern California, Robinson's factory was designed and built for helicopter manufacturing. The facility is equipped with the latest state-of-the-art machinery, including CNC (computer numerically controlled) machining centers and CMM (coordinate measuring machines). To maintain the highest quality, most operations including welding, machining, assembly, painting and flight testing are performed at the Torrance facility. In 2010 Robinson added 133,000 sq feet of manufacturing space bringing the company's total manufacturing space to 617,000 sq feet.
Key Executives
Kurt Robinson, President
Wayne Walden, Vice President of Production
Peter Riedl, Vice President of Engineering
Tim Goetz, Chief Financial Officer and General Counsel
Terry Hane, Director of Sales and Marketing
Timeline of Significant Events and Milestones
| DATE | EVENT/MILESTONE |
|---|---|
| NOVEMBER 2011 | Robinson produces 10,000th helicopter |
| NOVEMBER 2010 | First production R66 Turbine is delivered |
| OCTOBER 2010 | FAA issues Type Certificate for the R66 Turbine. Robinson adds 133,000 square feet to West Building, bringing Robinson's total manufacturing space to 617,000 square feet |
| AUGUST 2010 | Frank Robinson announces his retirement and Kurt Robinson is elected President |
| FEBRUARY 2010 | Robinson debuts the R66 Turbine at Heli-Expo in Houston, Texas |
| JUNE 2009 | 5,000th R44 is delivered |
| JANUARY 2009 | Pilot Safety Course marks its 26th year |
| DECEMBER 2008 | Robinson breaks previous production record for civil helicopters, having produced 893 helicopters in 2008 |
| SEPTEMBER 2008 | The R44 surpasses the R22 in total number manufactured |
| JANUARY 2008 | President George W. Bush and California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger visit the Robinson factory |
| DECEMBER 2007 | Robinson breaks previous production record for civil helicopters having produced with 823 new helicopters in 2007 |
| NOVEMBER 2007 | 8000th helicopter delivered |
| MARCH 2007 | Robinson announces development of the five-place R66 Turbine helicopter |
| SEPTEMBER 2006 | 3000th R44 helicopter delivered |
| JANUARY 2006 | 4000th R22 helicopter delivered |
| DECEMBER 2005 | Robinson sets production record for civil helicopters having produced 806 helicopters in 2005 |
| APRIL 2005 | 6000th helicopter delivered |
| FEBRUARY 2005 | Robinson opens new 220,000 square foot manufacturing facility; factory totals 480,000 square feet |
| JANUARY 2005 | Robinson surpasses previous sales with 690 new helicopters produced in 2004; R44 Raven II is the first piston helicopter to fly to the South Pole, piloted by Quentin Smith and Steve Brooks |
| SEPTEMBER 2004 | Smithsonian adds the R22 that earned the helicopter design's FAA Type Certificate in 1979, and the R44 flown by Jennifer Murray in her two, record-setting around-the-world trips. |
| JANUARY 2004 | Robinson announces company sales record with the production of 422 new helicopters in 2003 |
| SEPTEMBER 2003 | 5000th helicopter delivered |
| JUNE 2003 | First Robinson helipad opened at a private helistop at Honda of Santa Ana, CA. |
| NOVEMBER 2002 | Robinson is the first U.S. helicopter manufacturer to receive Japanese type certification |
| OCTOBER 2002 | R44 Raven II is first piston helicopter to fly to the North Pole, piloted by Quentin Smith and Steve Brooks |
| JULY 2002 | Robinson announces the new R44 Raven II WITH Lycoming IO-540 fuel-injected engine; the new helicopter has more power, a higher gross weight, and increased altitude performance |
| JUNE 2002 | Robinson delivers the first digital ENG Newscopter to Metro Networks; the first R44 Police Helicopter is delivered to China |
| JANUARY 2002 | R44 becomes the first U.S. manufactured helicopter approved by Russia and other states of the Commonwealth of Independent Stats (CIS) |
| FEBRUARY 2001 | 1000th R44 helicopter is delivered; Robinson launches new program for lightweight roof-top helipads for business and industrial parks |
| SEPTEMBER 2000 | 4000th Robinson helicopter delivered - 3132 R22s and 968 R44s; Jennifer Murray pilots her R44 helicopter, becoming the first woman to fly solo around the world |
| JANUARY 2000 | Model R44 Raven is introduced with adjustable pedals and standard hydraulic controls; TBO for R22 and R44 is increased for 2000 to 2200 hours |
| OCTOBER 1999 | 3000th R22 helicopter is delivered |
| AUGUST 1999 | Hydraulic power controls are introduced for the R44 helicopters |
| JUNE 1999 | FAA approves pop-out floats for R44 Clipper |
| FEBRUARY 1998 | First three R44 Newscopters are delivered |
| NOVEMBER 1997 | Robinson is awarded ISO 9001 certification for helicopter design, manufacture and service |
| AUGUST 1997 | R44 completes around-the-world flight with pilots Jennifer Murray and Quentin Smith |
| JULY 1997 | R44 Police Helicopter receives FAA certification |
| JUNE 1997 | R44 Newscopter announced for high-quality live television broadcasting |
| FEBRUARY 1996 | Model R22 Beta II is introduced with O-360 engine, giving it improved hover performance, and a base price of $135,000. |
| JULY 1994 | Robinson moves to new 260,000 square-foot manufacturing facility at Zamperini Field Airport in Torrance, CA. |
| FEBRUARY 1993 | First production R44 Astro helicopter is delivered |
| JANUARY 1993 | Buenos Aires Police purchase forty R22 helicopters |
| DECEMBER 1992 | FAA issues Type Certificate for R44 Astro; R22 is world's top-selling helicopter for the fifth consecutive year |
| MARCH 1992 | R44 base price of $235,000 is announced; deposits and orders are accepted |
| DECEMBER 1991 | Robinson production rate reaches all-time high with 402 R22s produced in 1991 |
| NOVEMBER 1991 | 2000th R22 helicopter is delivered |
| JUNE 1991 | R22 breaks its own speed records reaching a top speed of 143.61 mph; Robinson receives Igor I. Sikorsky Trophy recognizing world records |
| JANUARY 1991 | New model R44 four-seat helicopter is exhibited for the first time |
| FEBRUARY 1990 | New RPM governor is approved for R22 |
| DECEMBER 1989 | 310 R22s are delivered in 1989, making it the year's most popular light aircraft - including helicopters and airplanes |
| MAY 1989 | R22 breaks its own altitude record for Class E-1a helicopters |
| APRIL 1989 | 1000th R22 helicopter is delivered |
| JANUARY 1989 | R22 sets world altitude record for Class E-1a helicopters |
| DECEMBER 1988 | Robinson becomes leading producer of light helicopters, producing more new helicopters in 1988 than any other manufacturer |
| OCTOBER 1985 | Model R22 Mariner is introduced with fixed utility floats, priced at $94,850; R22 sets world record for Distance in a Close Circuit for Class E-1a helicopters |
| AUGUST 1985 | Model R22 Beta is introduced with higher take-off rating, larger instrument panel, and base price of $85,850 |
| JULY 1985 | 500th R22 helicopter is delivered |
| JANUARY 1985 | Auxiliary fuel system is approved for the R22 Alpha model, increasing range and endurance by 65% |
| SEPTEMBER 1983 | Model R22 Alpha is announced with increased gross weight and a base price of $77,850 |
| OCTOBER 1982 | Safety course for flight instructors is launched to standardize training at flight schools, where R22s are widely used |
| SEPTEMBER 1981 | Model R22 HP is announced with more powerful engine, improved altitude performance, and a base price of $59,850 |
| MARCH 1981 | Robinson receives FAA Production Certificate allowing the company to do testing and inspection |
| JANUARY 1981 | 100th R22 helicopter is delivered |
| OCTOBER 1979 | First production R22 helicopter is delivered; Robinson announces order backlog of 587 orders |
| MARCH 1979 | Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issues Type Certificate for R22; Robinson announces R22 base price of $40,000 |
| AUGUST 1975 | R22 prototype takes its first flight at Torrance Airport |
| JUNE 1973 | Company founded by Frank Robinson to design and manufacture a light, inexpensive helicopter for general aviation market |