Thanks for the info Jeremy.
According to the information in
http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articl ... on-368235/ is the situation:
Canadian and European regulators have held up certification of the five-seat Robinson R66 helicopter and requested more tests on the hydraulic system, said company president Kurt Robinson.
Transport Canada (TC) and the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) have asked the company to prove the pilot's ability to control the helicopter will not be compromised if a small particle or chip jams a control valve that causes the hydraulic system to fail, Robinson said.
The US Federal Aviation Administration granted Robinson's company an exemption from the rule and awarded the R66 an airworthiness certificate in October 2010.
However, TC and EASA officials want the California-based airframer to complete a second round of testing to prove that the R66 is controllable without a back-up hydraulics system, Robinson said.
The R66 completed a first round of testing in the third quarter of last year, but the results did not prompt EASA and TC to approve certification. The company submitted a proposal for a second round of tests to the FAA in November, but so far the agency has not decided which tests to include in the next round, Robinson said.
known European Robinson R66s are:
R66 c/n 0016 N66NN Aerospace Trust Management Trustee, Wilmington (DE), registered on 8 February 2011. Presented by Heli Air at Wycombe Air Park on 19 February.
R66 c/n 0017 N66UK Sloane Helicopters North America, Wilmington (DE), registered on 18 February 2011. Destined for Sloane Helicopters in the UK.
R66 c/n 0031 N4478K Sloane Helicopters North America, Wilmington (DE), registered on 31 August 2011. Handed over to a private owner in the UK.
R66 c/n 0034 N44829 Robinson Helicopter, Torrance (CA), cancelled on 28 June 2011. To Germany. (stored and no longer registered)
R66 c/n 0039 N66001 Marc Aurele Trustee, Wilmington (DE), registered on 6 June 2011. Delivered to SMVT Héli-Tech, Chambery, France.
R66 c/n 0041 N66MV Heli4Charter Aviation Trustee, Wilmington (DE), registered on 2 September 2011. Handed by HeliAir to a private owner in the UK.
R66 c/n 0058 N404RW Redwood Air Services Trustee, Wilmington (DE), registered on 30 September 2011. Arrived at Heli Air at Wycombe Air Park in the UK on 6 October.
R66 c/n 0059 N4502G N4502G Trustee, Wilmington (DE), registered on 21 November 2011. Seen in the Heli Air hangar at Booker, UK, on 7 December 2011.
R66 c/n 0095 N4524Y ATB Trustee, Wilmington (DE), registered on 25 January 2012. Was destined for P. Van Zutphen via Air Technology Belgium. Sold in Ireland.
R66 c/n 0096 N4480W Sloane Helicopters North America, Wilmington (DE), registered on 15 February 2012.
and some reservations:
R66 c/n 0189 OO-*** Sea Coast Invest: reservation. Delivery around June 2012.
R66 c/n 0278 OO-*** Air Technology Belgium: reservation. Delivery around September 2012.
The Spanish Robinson R66 is new for me
De nieuwe Robinson R66 is nog steeds niet gecertificeerd door de EASA en Transport Canada (TC)
jwparkin wrote:Robinson stopped taking deposits for R66s for EASA countries back in October or even September 2011 - and will only restart when EASA certifies the type. The European population is currently 1 in Germany (stored, not registered) and the following on N registrations - 1 in France, 1 in Spain and 7 in UK.