Professional Pilot, October 2018
Robinson In 1973 Robinson Helicopters set out to make a cost effective safe efficient helicopter so more people than ever would have access to vertical flight The idea worked The Robinson R44 is currently the best selling helicopter in the world Working off the same familiar design they began with Robinson now offers 3 models the piston powered R22 and R44 with additional variants and the turbine engine R66 Their lowcost of acquisition and operation have made them popular with flight schools law enforcement and personal ownership around the world Just as Robinson added the R66 to expand their product line they continue to improve their offerings and add new items and technologies In the past few years often from customer requests they have developed an Electronic News Gathering ENG version autopilot capabilities glass cockpits cargo hooks and use of lithium ion batteries As they continue to top sales lists expect to see more upgrades from this popular helicopter manufacturer Robinson R66 56 PROFESSIONAL PILOT October 2018 Sikorsky S 97 Raider Photos courtesy Sikorsky Sikorsky The company that created the first mass produced helicopter now offers only 3 models for commercial sales While the quantity of offerings may be limited the impact and versatility of the 3 are significant The S 76 has been a mainstay in Search And Rescue SAR and VIP transport for over 40 years The S 70 Firehawk a variant of the revered Black Hawk military helicopter has become the top for aerial firefighting and utility operations The S 92 is an industry leader in offshore oil transportation and VIP Head of State missions The military side offers combat SAR and utility versions of each model along with the heavy lift 3 engine CH 53 Stallion line With parent company Lockheed Martins vast military background and research facilities at their disposal the vertical lift technologies on the horizon at Sikorsky are some of the most advanced From the experimental X2 comes the S 97 Raider a light Sikorsky S 92 Sikorsky S 76D Sikorsky CH 53 Stallion tactical military helicopter utilizing twin counter rotating main rotors and a rear mounted pusher propeller It will carry 6 troops at speeds in excess of 220 kts and can be reconfigured to a variety of special military operational roles Sikorsky also continues to develop their MATRIX technology which allows for autonomous or optionally piloted applications on several models of aircraft both rotary and fixed wing Brent Bundy has been a police officer with the Phoenix Police Dept for 27 years He has served in the PHX Air Support Unit for 17 years and is a helicopter rescue pilot with nearly 4000 hours of flight time Bundy currently flies Airbus AS350B3s for the helicopter side of Phoenix PDs air unit and Cessna 172 182s and 210s for the fixed wing side Robinson R44 Photos courtesy Robisnon
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