Extras
My friends call me Robbie…By Jannie MatthysenMention the words “Robinson R22”, and reactions are likely to vary from admiration to unrestrained hostility. What is it about this little helicopter that evokes such a very distinct love / hate opinion in pilots? I have to confess: I may be a bit biased in writing this article. I can still remember my first time. Flying that is. The smell, the sound and my fumbling lack of sensitive touch… My maiden encounter with the Robbie occurred more than 21 years ago. Little did I know then what a profound impact this little aircraft was going to have on my career, and indeed, my life. I am still fortunate enough to fly the Robbie virtually every day, or as often as my heart desires. OK, drop the eyebrow. I’ll explain. Little Robbie had a very difficult birth and early childhood. The first prototype flew in 1975 with certification and customer deliveries following only in 1979. The Robinson Helicopter Company almost immediately filled its order books. The demand was beyond their wildest expectation. Difficulties arose when Robinson customers crashed these machines almost as fast as they were being produced. Mr. Frank Robinson became very well acquainted with the American legal system as he spent many years defending product liability lawsuits. In spite of its popularity the R22 carved a very negative reputation for itself that it is still trying to rectify to this day. The R22 looks cute. It does not roar and thunder like other helicopters, but produces an agreeable, friendly wizz. It is tiny, and therefore does not command much respect parked on the helipad. Pilots tend to treat it with contempt. This is exactly why the early Robbies fought back – and often with disastrous consequences. Every helicopter pilot knows that the minimum requirement for successful and sustained rotary flight is to keep the main rotor blades spinning. Preferably at a constant speed. Engines can normally be relied upon to produce the power required to turn these rotors, while on more complex helicopters, some form of governing system ensures that the rotor RPM stays within the design limits. The early R22’s did not have a governing system, and the pilot’s most important task was to preserve this valuable rotor RPM by manipulating a motorcycle-like throttle. Many failed in this task. One of the biggest assets in maintaining rotor RPM is inertia of the rotor system. The very simple lightweight construction of the Robbie’s main rotor blades meant that there was preciously little inertia, and rotor RPM was often allowed to decay beyond recovery by the unwary pilot. The grieving widows of these pilots predictably then initiated the lawsuits that Frank Robinson spent so much time defending. Robbie had other problems too. The little Lycoming engines that motivated the early models were often found wanting. Robinson designed the R22 as a very simple and reliable helicopter. Many systems and features of the R22 were based on proven aviation designs, such as using a proven Lycoming 4-cylinder air-cooled engine already doing duty in many fixed-wing aircraft of the day. The alloy frame, aluminium sheetmetal, and a basic gravity feed fuel system were all system designs already seen in other production aircraft, but never in an affordable rotor-wing package such as the R22. The teetering rotor head design was particularly impressive in its simplicity. The Robbie was also not easy to fly. The lightweight design made it very twitchy. Combine this characteristic with the low-inertia rotors and barely sufficient power output, and you have a machine that very few pilots had sufficient skill to cope with. Fortunately Robinson Helicopter Company recognized this fact, and embarked on a very aggressive campaign to ensure that customers and instructors alike were made aware of these characteristics of the R22. This lead to a very successful training academy being established at the Robinson factory which still does a remarkable job of educating pilots of all skill and experience levels in the finer nuances of the complex R22 temperament. The fascinating thing about the R22 is that the basic design was spot-on from the start. A new 2009 Robinson R22 Beta II may be a far cry from those early models, but the fundamental product design remains. Some evolutionary changes were made, for example, by constantly adding more power. The latest models are driven by a de-rated 131 hp Lycoming 0-360. Power to the people, if you will. An efficient electronic governor significantly changed the character of the Robbie by making it a lot easier to control and maintain rotor RPM. The main rotor blades were redesigned, adding the much needed inertia. An auxiliary fuel tank, voice activated intercom, and rotor brake were nice touches that made the R22 much easier to cope with. Pre-flight and Start ProceduresThe biggest favour any R22 pilot can do himself before flight is to become intimately familiar with the Maximum Gross Weight limitations and the subsequent effect on performance. The R22 can comfortably carry two adults, provided close attention is paid to fuel load as well as hover performance at high-density altitudes.The pre-flight inspection consists mainly of checking oil levels on the engine, main rotor gearbox and tail rotor gearbox. A maze of bearings, control rods, couplings, and driveshafts demand close attention in addition to the drive pulleys and belts, and the important sprag clutch which allows the rotors to continue rotation following an engine failure. Fuel is drained from the lowest point of both fuel tanks and from an additional fuel filter. Any pilot remotely familiar with a piston engine will have no problem firing up the R22: flick the master switch, mixture rich, prime the carburetor, and turn the key (my simplified summary). The engine starts without the strain of a propeller or rotors bogging it down. Rotors are automatically engaged by means of a solenoid clutch that tensions two drive belts. All it takes is a flick of a switch. Fixed-wing pilots will by this time be looking for an RPM indicator, which, in the case of the R22 is called a dual tachometer, indicating engine and rotor RPM on the same instrument, calibrated in percentage. Robinson pilots become very familiar with “keeping it in the green”, referring to the green arc denoting the normal operating range for rotor RPM between 90 - 110 %. The usual Lycoming checks of carburetor heat and magneto tests are accomplished, as well as the procedure of checking the sprag clutch and low rotor RPM warning systems. This is a helicopter’s version of a stall warning. The mixture will also be adjusted for R22’s flown at high-density altitude, although the exact procedure is nowhere to be found in any operating manual. The rotor and engine RPM’s are automatically matched and maintained at around 100%, where they should remain for the duration of the flight. Take-offWhen lifting into the hover, I am always impressed by how sensitive the controls are. Very little effort is required to move the controls, which are not assisted by hydraulics or any of the usual electrical trim systems. The cyclic requires the finesse of a pickpocket and the pedals respond only to the grace of Fred Astaire. It now becomes obvious why pilots of bigger machines are intimidated by the Robbie. The hover attitude is relative neutral with a classic left skid low bias. Normal take-off requires acceleration in ground effect to 40 knots, after which climb at 60kts is established. The R22 is in a class of its own in visibility from the cockpit. Large windshields and a small instrument panel allow an unobstructed forward view. The sensation of freedom and unrestricted flight is increased by the removal of one, or both doors. This is a very simple exercise taking about 30 seconds, and places no performance restrictions on the Robbie.CruiseThe basic VNE of 102 knots at sea level can be easily achieved at lower density altitudes with one person on board. With both seats occupied, a comfortable cruise speed of around 85 knots produces fuel consumption of approximately 30 liters per hour. Full tank fuel endurance is well in excess of three hours, although not always possible with two adult occupants. Vibration levels are minimal, for a helicopter, and seating is surprisingly comfortable. A liberal volume of luggage space is allowed under each seat. Cruise flight in the Robbie surely holds one of the secrets of the intrigue of helicopter flight. The machine is alive in your hands. There is constant feedback through the controls, and any pilot input is met with an instant response. You can constantly feel and hear how the machine strains, slaps, and buzzes around you. You are always reminded that helicopter flight is only achieved through a strenuous combination of opposing forces. Great! It is very easy to understand why the R22 is such a popular game-capture, and cattle-herding tool. It is supremely responsive, although only an experience pilot could exploit the full capabilities of what this little beast has to offer.Landing and shut-downA normal approach should ideally be a mirror image of the take-off profile. The approach is flown at 60 knots, reducing to 40 knots in ground effect. A pronounced vibration is evident as the final deceleration into the hover is made. Helicopter landings are always the stage where egos are boosted or shattered, and Robbie takes no prisoners in this regard. The machine is, as always, very responsive to the smallest control inputs resulting in a less than perfect landing for nervous, sweaty hands. The shutdown procedure is a simple matter of allowing the engine (Cylinder Head Temperature) to cool down and disengaging the clutch, before shutting down the engine by leaning the mixture. A model of simplicity.One of Robbie’s most admirable character traits is its honesty. Here is a machine that has nothing to hide – what you see is what you get. It is an honest, hard-working aircraft that does not suffer fools. And many a fool has suffered. The rules are simple: you fly by the book, or you get hurt. Frank Robinson brought to the helicopter industry the flying equivalent of the VW Beetle. A people’s helicopter. Never before has the wonder of vertical flight been made accessible to so many people. In this fact lies the R22’s biggest achievement and its biggest failure. The R22 spawned a growth in the civilian helicopter pilot population through its relative affordability and reliability. More people could go more places and accomplish more tasks in less time for much less money for the first time in the history of rotor-wing flight. For the same reasons, many people died. The R22 has always been a challenge to fly, and never a challenge to be taken lightly. Although there have been some minor design flaws, the vast majority of accidents in the R22 were directly related to pilot actions. The latest Beta II is an absolute dream to fly compared to its earlier siblings, but it is still unfairly judged and dismissed based on the reputation created by the foolish actions of a number of misguided pilots. The icon that is the Robinson R22 continues to manifest itself in the continuing success of the R44 and the latest evolution of the species, the Robinson R66. These successes sadly also hold the key to the demise of the original Robbie. Rumours are becoming more frequent and a lot more plausible that the R22 Beta II is currently in its final production cycle. The aviation industry will lose an icon and my own little world will be the poorer for it. Long live the Robbie. |
