Robinson R66

R66
R66 prototype in 2009
Role	Light utility and trainer helicopter
Manufacturer	Robinson Helicopter Company
Designer	Frank D. Robinson
First flight	7 November 2007
Status	In production
Produced	2007–present
Number built	More than 700 (Dec 2015)
Unit cost	$869,000 (Feb. 2016)
Developed from	Robinson R44

The Robinson R66 is a helicopter designed and built by Robinson Helicopter Company. It has five seats, a separate cargo compartment, and is powered by a new Rolls-Royce RR300 turboshaft engine. The R66 is slightly faster and smoother than the Robinson R44 from which it is derived. The R66 received both type and production certificates from the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on October 25, 2010.

Announced in 2007, the R66 was designed to be the company's first turbine-powered product and to extend its product range to compete with larger helicopters manufactured by Bell Helicopter and Eurocopter. Most of the R66 design is based on the earlier piston-engine R44.

Robinson started taking orders for the R66 in February, 2010. It went into preliminary production in 2010, and full production in 2011. The existing two-seat R22 and four-seat R44 continued in production.

A four-seat police version of the R66 has entered production with a forward looking infrared (FLIR) camera system, searchlight, and external public address (PA) system as standard equipment. A cargo hook was approved in the EU and the United States in 2015.

In 2012, Robinson delivered 191 R66s while Robinson's competitors in the light single turbine sector delivered only 40 units between them. About 70 percent of the R66 production is exported. In 2014, the production rate slowed to about two R66s per week for a total of 101 for the year. In 2015, Robinson produced three R66s per week. RHC has contracted with Rolls-Royce to supply 100 RR300 turbines per year for 10 years.

Russia certified the R66 in March, 2013, while Canada certified it in Summer 2013. European EASA certification was granted in May, 2014, and China certified shortly after.

The R66 Turbine Marine with pop-out floats was FAA certified in November, 2014. A journalist pilot described ground landing with them as better than the standard R66. Retrofit floats will not be available for the standard R66.