Robinson Helicopter Company is an American manufacturer of light helicopters based in Torrance, California. Frank Robinson founded the business in 1973 to develop a small personal helicopter. The resulting R22 established a product line that later expanded into four-seat piston and five-seat turbine aircraft.[1][2]
Frank Robinson and the R22
Before founding the company, Robinson worked for several aircraft and helicopter manufacturers, developing particular expertise in tail-rotor engineering. Unable to secure support for his proposed small helicopter, he began the new business from his home. The R22 first flew in 1975 and received FAA certification in 1979. It provided a compact two-seat aircraft for private ownership and instruction. Flight training became an important application, connecting the company's original personal-helicopter concept with organisations needing aircraft for repeated instructional operations.[1][3]
Expansion into larger helicopters
The R44 increased capacity to four seats and received FAA certification in 1992. It retained piston propulsion while addressing users requiring more space than the R22 offered. The R66, introduced in 2010, moved the range into turbine propulsion and five-seat accommodation. It used a design approach related to the earlier aircraft but offered greater capacity and different operating characteristics. These three families allowed Robinson to serve several parts of the light-helicopter market while building upon established manufacturing and support experience.[1][2]
Equipment development and new programmes
Robinson has also developed equipment intended to improve operational safety, including crash-resistant fuel systems, cockpit recording, autopilot installations and other configuration options. In March 2025 it announced the larger R88 programme, intended for utility, passenger, medical and firefighting applications. The planned aircraft uses a single Safran Arriel engine and a reconfigurable cabin. Subsequent supplier announcements described continuing engineering work on the programme. The R88 therefore represents a development effort to expand the company's market coverage beyond the established R22, R44 and R66 production families.[3][4][5]