One year since the public launch of its new 10-seat R88, Torrance, California-based Robinson Helicopter continues to make strong progress on the light-single’s development, with chief executive David Smith describing it “as fast as any programme” in his career.
Unveiled at the Verticon show in 2025, the R88 takes Robinson’s light-helicopter heritage and grows it into a new size class. It features a highly-configurable, flat-floor cabin, useful load of around 820kg (1,800lb) and is powered by a single Safran Helicopter Engines Arriel 2W turboshaft.
“The progress has been as fast as any programme in my career,” he says. “I’m proud of the team for executing efficiently; a lot has to go right to hit the schedules we lay out in front of us.”
Smith says a “huge volume” of parts for multiple test assets, including the first flight-test prototype, are now in production.
“You know, the big items are all running through the shop now; it’s pretty exciting time. Just the sheet metal is really amazing,” he says.
Additionally, the bulk of major suppliers now signed up, with Robinson at Verticon disclosing another batch of programme partners.
Recent additions include: GPMS, which will provide its Foresight MX Health and Usage Monitoring System; connectivity and real-time data monitoring specialist Outerlink; and Skurka Aerospace, which will supply the R88’s advanced brushless starter-generator.
Smith is still hopeful of a maiden sortie in late 2026, although he acknowledges “a lot has to go perfectly to hit that schedule”, and the milestone could potentially slip into early next year.
“But I’m holding out hope and putting pressure on the team to not lose any daylight,” he adds.
In the interim, Robinson is in the process of commissioning multiple ground-test rigs, with a gearbox test stand to be fully operational in the coming months.
“That’s all in work, and summertime will probably be full of testing of our stuff [in Torrance],” he says. Safran, meanwhile, will test the 950shp (708kW) turboshaft at its facility in Bordes in southern France through the summer.
US Federal Aviation Administration certification is targeted for 2028, initially in a visual flight rules configuration, while instrument flight rules approval will “be a little behind that”.
Sales of the R88 have been sufficiently brisk – around 160 orders have been booked so far – to account for the first 18 months of production. In fact, while the company continues to take deposits, commercial activity has dropped down its priority list.
“At this point, once you have the first year and a half or so locked up, your main focus is on that first group of customers,” says Smith.
“We know there are plenty of other big fleet customer sales to come, but our main focus is on execution at this point.”
