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New empennage for R66 turbine helicopters receives FAA approval

Robinson Helicopter Company on September 5 announced it earned certification from the Federal Aviation Administration for a new empennage configuration on the R66 Turbine.

Following years of development and testing, Robinson explains the new empennage provides enhanced roll stability during high-speed flight. The configuration replaces the existing 2,000-hour TBO horizontal stabilizer with a 4,000-hour TBO symmetrical horizontal stabilizer mounted on the tailcone and positioned forward of the original.

The new empennage configuration is standard on all new production FAA-registered R66 Turbine helicopters and will include a new 4,000-hour TBO tailcone. Commencing with R66 S/N 1279, Robinson will begin delivering FAA-registered R66 production aircraft with the new empennage and tailcone.

Robinson is working with civil airworthiness authorities around the world to obtain foreign validations around the new tail assembly. As these regulatory approvals are obtained, foreign-registered R66s will be delivered with the new empennage.