Robinson Service Bulletin | Tail Rotors!

Robinson Helicopter Company has released a new SB affecting almost all tail rotor blades for the R22, R44, and R66 helicopters. We have broken this down for you below, but if you have any questions please feel free to contact the Sellacopter team.

What’s the issue?  

RHC has received reports of tail rotor blade tips coming loose due to corrosion at the bond. Helicopters operating near saltwater are particularly susceptible to corrosion, especially if stored outdoors. A debonded tip can cause severe vibration and possible failure of the tail rotor gearbox housing.

What are the requirements?  

First, starting within 10 hours or by January 15th, 2023, Robinson requires an inspection of the blade tips prior to the first flight of each day, signed off on a form included in the SB publication.

Second, affected blades are required to be replaced by Dec 31, 2024. Helicopters operating in corrosive environments should have the blades replaced as soon as practical. 

What’s the solution?

Any blades still under warranty will be replaced for free at Robinson’s discretion. Otherwise, any blades still within their 12 year life and with more than 100hrs remaining can be traded in for new blades discounted to about 1/3 of the normal cost. It is worth noting that this just replaces the blades, so owners should expect about 3.5 hours of labor expense to mount the new blades to their existing spindles.

For anyone with a high time ship nearing overhaul or the 12 year mark, this presents as a great opportunity to save some money on replacement tail rotor blades!

While this is an SB and not an AD, I’m sure we can all agree we like our tail rotor blades and gearbox safely attached to the back of our helicopter. Make sure the daily inspection sheet finds its way into your helicopter, and that two minute inspections becomes a part of your daily routine.

Fly safe everyone!

Written by Zach Whitehead

Operations Manager of Sellacopter.