The Robinson R44 Clipper is the first US-manufactured helicopter to gain Russian certification. The four-seater helicopter has also been approved by the other states of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS).
A 14-member team from the CIS interstate aviation committee spent 10 days at Robinson's Torrance, California, facilities conducting inspections for the supplementary type certificate, granted early this month.
The piston single R44 will be distributed in the CIS by GALS Helicopter Company, which took over from St Petersburg-based Specialist Aviation Transport Agency as its Russian distributor. GALS has taken delivery of four R44s and has orders for a further three.
Robinson plans to build eight R44s and four R22s per week this year.
Meanwhile, Robinson has reduced the weight of the oil filter on the R44 and two-seat R22. The new oil filters, which are retrofittable, weigh 1.6kg (3.5lb) less than the previous Champion filter.
Source: Flight International
