The R88 represents a significant expansion of Robinson Helicopter’s product portfolio, addressing the increasing demand for versatile and cost-effective single-engine utility helicopters.
The highly configurable R88 is designed for a variety of missions, including aerial firefighting, air medical transport, utility work, passenger transport and more. Its adaptable interior design allows for quick reconfiguration, supporting various mission needs.
David Smith, president and CEO of Robinson Helicopter Company, said "With the unveiling of the R88, we expect to disrupt the single-engine helicopter market, offering superior performance and capabilities at a competitive price. As the most vertically integrated manufacturer of helicopters in the world, we have a unique opportunity to provide solutions that no other manufacturer can – a highly-capable and affordable helicopter with readily available parts and predictable maintenance. This is exactly what our 10,000+ existing customers have come to expect from Robinson.”
Robinson Helicopter Company selected the Safran Helicopter Engines’ Arriel 2W engine for the R88 and is providing market-leading engine service and support as part of every aircraft purchase in the new Arriel 2W Serenity package, a first of its kind offering for any commercial helicopter.
The Serenity package will be included with the purchase of each new R88 helicopter. Serenity includes services, such as unscheduled removals coverage for five years or 2,000 flying hours (whichever comes first), premium health monitoring, and advanced digital services. This package from Robinson Helicopter Company and Safran Helicopter Engines offers additional confidence in the maintenance and ongoing support of every Robinson R88 helicopter. The Arriel engine family has accumulated over 66 million flight hours and is used in various demanding missions globally.
R88 Key Features and Capabilities
- Size and Capacity: The R88 is the largest and most capable aircraft Robinson Helicopter has designed, with capacity for eight main cabin seats, two cockpit seats and a payload capacity of up to 1,800 pounds with full fuel. It has approximately 275 cubic feet of cabin volume.
- Performance: The R88 offers a range of over 350 nautical miles and endurance exceeding 3.5 hours. The aircraft is expected to have an internal payload of more than 2,800 pounds and will be powered by a 1,000-shaft horse-power single engine in the Safran Arriel 2W.
- Highly Configurable Interior: The highly configurable cabin features a flat floor, allowing for multiple forward and club seating configurations, effective air medical and public safety mission configurations, and multiple future seating options. A fold-down, truck-bed style rear door simplifies cargo loading and accommodates a HEMS stretcher.
- Exterior Adaptability: The aircraft is available with standard skids or optional high skids for increased ground clearance and compatibility with a firefighting water tank. Optional equipment includes a 3,000-pound HEC-rated cargo hook, utility basket, wire strike protection kit, and pop-out floats.
- Advanced Avionics: The R88 features a Garmin avionics suite, including large G500H TXi displays and GTN navigators with touchscreen controls. The G500H TXi includes a crew alerting system. A standard 4-axis autopilot with features such as level mode, hover assist, limit cueing, and low/high speed protection. Standard data recording with datalink and a health usage monitoring system (HUMS) simplifies operation and maintenance.
- Enhanced Safety: The R88 incorporates dual hydraulics for pitch and roll for critical flight controls. Other standard safety features include an inlet barrier filter and impact-resistant windshields certified to Part 29 transport helicopter requirements. New LED exterior lighting, including pulse landing and taxi lights, tail rotor lighting, scene lighting, and entry lights, further enhance safety.
- Innovative Design: The R88 introduces dual cyclic controls with removable controls on both sides, allowing the pilot in command to be in either the left or right seat with a passenger in the other seat. The aircraft will be type-certified for optional single-pilot IFR operations. The all-new interior design features comfortable, functional seating, easy-to-maintain materials, and a versatile layout.
- Affordability: The R88 is priced starting at $3.3 million USD in current dollars for the highly equipped standard configuration.
The R88 is an all-new type certificate, undergoing rigorous testing and engineering for every aspect of the aircraft. The company will be taking deposits from Authorized Robinson Helicopter Dealers starting on Tuesday, March 11, 2025, at Verticon.
About Robinson Helicopter Company : For more than 50 years, Robinson Helicopter Company has been at the forefront of the helicopter industry by delivering safety-enhancing technologies, including OEM-designed crash-resistant fuel cells, 4K cockpit video cameras, autopilot systems, impact-resistant windshields, and NVG-compatible cockpits. Robinson is committed to developing, manufacturing, and supporting the most reliable and efficient manned and unmanned helicopters in the industry.
Safran Arriel engine selected to power new Robinson R88 helicopter
Safran Arriel 2W engine
Safran - Safran Helicopter Engines and Robinson Helicopter Company (RHC) announced today their exclusive partnership to power the R88. This new helicopter will be equipped with the 950 shp power class Arriel 2W, the newest variant of the Arriel family.
By choosing the Arriel, Robinson Helicopter Company has selected the benchmark engine in the light helicopter market. With more than 66 million flight hours, the Arriel family has proven its performance and durability. Every day, all over the world, Arriel engines power helicopters for demanding missions, particularly in the fields of EMS, rescue operations, and population protection.
Robinson Helicopter Company customers will also benefit from Safran Helicopter Engines' worldwide support network, which ensures customer proximity and delivers a streamlined, high-performance MRO (maintenance, repair, and overhaul) service.
For the first time, an airframe manufacturer is furthermore investing in engine services included from day 1 of the aircraft acquisition, to ensure operators receive a high level of support directly with Safran Helicopter Engines. At aircraft delivery, customers will automatically benefit from a Serenity package featuring services, such as unscheduled maintenance for 5 years or 2,000 flying hours, Premium Health Monitoring and advanced digital services.
Cédric Goubet, CEO of Safran Helicopter Engines, said: “At Safran Helicopter Engines, we are proud to establish this first-ever partnership with Robinson Helicopter Company. With the Arriel 2W, the new R88 helicopter obtains the best propulsion solution in its power range. We are thrilled to embark on this new journey with Robinson Helicopter Company, and we are confident that the R88 will achieve great success in the light, single-engine helicopter market.”
David Smith, President and CEO of Robinson Helicopter Company, said: “Robinson has selected Safran’s Arriel 2W for our largest and most capable helicopter due to their unparalleled performance and proven reliability. The inclusion of the Serenity package provides our customers with the peace of mind they deserve, further solidifying our commitment to delivering the highest levels of safety and dependability.”
The Arriel is Safran’s best-selling helicopter engine family, with more than 15,500 units produced for over 40 different helicopter types. The Arriel engine has earned a high level of trust from helicopter operators and has become the No. 1 reference for powering light helicopters. In terms of reliability, durability and operability, the Arriel is an industry benchmark. Every 15 seconds, somewhere in the world, a helicopter powered by an Arriel engine takes off.
Safran Helicopter Engines is the world’s leading manufacturer of helicopter engines, with more than 75,000 produced since being founded. It offers the widest range of helicopter turboshafts in the world and has more than 2,500 customers in 155 countries.
About Safran : Safran is an international high-technology group, operating in the aviation (propulsion, equipment and interiors), defense and space markets. Its core purpose is to contribute to a safer, more sustainable world, where air transport is more environmentally friendly, comfortable and accessible. Safran has a global presence, with 100,000 employees and sales of 27.3 billion euros in 2024, and holds, alone or in partnership, world or regional leadership positions in its core markets. Safran is listed on the Euronext Paris stock exchange and is part of the CAC 40 and Euro Stoxx 50 indices.
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I fixed the rendering. No charge for this. 👍🏼 |
| Looking good but a 10 seater single engine is a pretty big undertaking on those skinny blades, when I think of a single engine helo with a capacity of 10 I think of a Bell 204/205, that said, it's not an impossible undertaking, but I think those blades will require some adjustment in this rendering or maybe more of them. |
| Pleased to know that I am not the only one scratching my head. |
| let’s do the math 10 people times approximately 170 pounds per plus fuel. How was this going to get off the ground? |
| maybe they should use four |
| Rumour has it… that the blades for this aircraft are so large, they couldn’t fit them inside the convention center. |
| When the R&D dept didn’t ask Bell why they stopped making the 205, 214st variants. Sshhh no one tell them… |
| Really 10 people in that with that rotor system |
| let us not forget the noise signature on the ground. There are many reasons why bell ditched the 2 rotor system. I can hear the noise complaints already… |
| Looks nice except for the transmission! |
| Bell never ditched the 2 bladed rotor system, it's still in use on the 505 as well as the 210, I just think that wider blades will work in that application but know that if they ditch the 2 bladed system they will have to ditch their Teetering Head and stretch bolts.... |
| for the mediums and heavy’s bell ditched the 2 bladed system. The 505 is a light helo. That’s why the 204/205, 214st variants are dead, Everything Bell has for new medium and heavy is 4 or more blades |
| nice 214 blades |
| There's Hill, then there's this .... |
| Surprised they haven’t introduced a better rotor head with at least 3 articulating blades . |
See also |
Robinson R88
Safran Arriel 2W
