EASA Finally Certifies R66

摘要

On April 30 the Robinson R66 Turbine was certified by the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA). It allows the company to begin deliveries to European customers. Delays to EASA approval originally concerned the lack of a backup to the primary hydraulics system in case a chip or small particle jammed a control valve. Approval of the R66 by the US Federal Aviation Administration in October 2010 contained a waiver to this problem; this was not accepted by EASA, as it questioned if the helicopter would be controllable without hydraulic power assistance for the flight controls. Later, the discovery of the hydrogen embrittlement of locking nuts, which was traced to a manufacturing flaw, also held up certification. Over 50 countries have certified the R66 and the 500 plus in service have flown approximately 160,000 hours.