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DALLAS—Buoyed by the launch of its new large R88 rotorcraft and the development of two upgraded variants of the company’s single-turbine R66, Robinson Helicopter is in an expansive mood and forecasting a potential annual production ramp-up to almost 1,000 aircraft in the coming years.
Releasing details of its delivery tally for 2024 at the Vertical Flight International’s Verticon convention here, Robinson Helicopter Company CEO and President David Smith says 295 rotorcraft were delivered last year. Though this was one less than 2023, it continues the gradual recovery trend established since 2020, when the California-based manufacturer delivered just 177 aircraft.
“The R44 remains the flagship, with the Cadet, the Raven I and the Raven II all in active production, making up 158 of those nearly 300 aircraft,” Smith says. In 2023, Robinson delivered 163 R44s, of which 101 were Raven IIs.
Production and deliveries of the R66 have been restricted by lower-than-expected deliveries of Rolls-Royce 300 turboshaft engines. The engine maker has been constrained by supply chain issues, says Smith, who notes that despite this factor, “the R66 continued strong growth, a testament to the reliability of its turbine engine.”
“With 119 helicopters produced last year, we’d love to make more this year. We expect to see increased growth moving forward, eventually doubling, perhaps even tripling production in the years to come,” he adds. Robinson delivered 118 R66s in 2023 and 101 in 2022.
Hinting at the future upgrades to come for the R22, the company’s first helicopter, Smith says “let’s be clear, the R22 is still the foundation of the Robinson Helicopter Company. It always has been, and it always will be. We learned something crucial this last year, that it all starts with the R22. The world trains in our R22. If you can fly in our R22, you can fly anything, even the biggest helicopters in our industry.
“We only delivered 18 R22s last year. We want to sell more. We are absolutely committed to the continued production, development and enhancement of the R22 aircraft, so stay tuned for more on that,” he adds. Robinson delivered 15 R22s in both 2023 and 2022.
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