FYI -yet more Safety Alerts for R22-44

[barnstorm2]

December 27, 2004

Service Bulletin and Safety Alert for Robinson R22 and R44

HM Staff

A safety alert on exceeding power limits and a service bulletin on rotor blades have been issued for owners of Robinson R22 and R44 helicopters.

The Service Bulletin (SL-54) was issued earlier this fall for A0106-1 rotor blades and since that time an additional blade failure has occurred. As a result, all A016-2 rotor blades are being removed from service as soon as possible and replaced with A016-4 blades with improved corrosion resistance.

In addition, a Safety Alert was issued for all R22 and R44 aircraft due to pilots continuing to exceed engine manifold pressure limits. Exceeding these limits have led to several rotor blade and drive system failures.

Owners and pilots are urged to visit the Robinson Helicopter Web Site (www.robinsonheli.com) or call Robinson at 310-539-0508 for more details.

(Information on this news article was in part gathered from HAI's website at wwww.rotor.com)

[Chuck Roberg]

Yes, I really enjoy these $$$$$$$$ alerts.

[barnstorm2]

If they buggered up the rust resistance.. seems to me they should give you a set at cost or less...

[gyroplanes]

If they buggered up the rust resistance.. seems to me they should give you a set at cost or less...
Robinson is giving considerable relief to us.
The normal cost of a set of rotors, less spindles is around $24,000. plus crate and shipping.
I understand that if we have less than 2100 hours, and we do, they will sell us a new set for around $4200.
The old blades are all aluminum, the new ones will have stainless steel skins like the R-44's blades do. My only worry is that they will suffer hangar rash as they are much thinner material. Robinson warned us in school about the thinner R-44 blades.

[barnstorm2]

That has to be some good news. 24k would have ate my lunch!

Helps me to be thankful for the low cost of gyros!

[gyroplanes]

You have to think of your helicopter as a "tool". A 24K hit would have hurt real bad, but not so bad when you have 2 other partners (right Chuck R.?)
We are facing a complete overhaul this spring and have been putting money away for that every hour it has flown. The blade bulletin has actually dramatically reduced the cost of our overhaul.

[Cobra Doc]

Tom;
Does anyone make sheaths for Robbie blades? I've been around a fes thin-skinned machines that we not only had to sheath the wings or rotorblades, we also put blankets over the fuselages when they were hangared.

[arlenj]

Robinson is giving considerable relief to us.
The normal cost of a set of rotors, less spindles is around $24,000. plus crate and shipping.
I understand that if we have less than 2100 hours, and we do, they will sell us a new set for around $4200.
The old blades are all aluminum, the new ones will have stainless steel skins like the R-44's blades do. My only worry is that they will suffer hangar rash as they are much thinner material. Robinson warned us in school about the thinner R-44 blades.

I believe the old style blades are not all aluminum, but rather a combination of aluminum and stainless steel. The leading edge spar is SS and the top and bottom skins are AL. As you stated, the new blades have SS top and bottom skins.