Conventional Cyclic for the R22

[AndrewT]

I found this helicopter for sale on Ebay that apparently used to be owned by Altair, which I guess makes aftermarket parts for R-22's. I thought the cyclic was pretty cool, but a search on google for their product information yielded no results.

 

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1990-ROBINS...0QQcmdZViewItem

 

This helicopter also has a modified collective and outboard storage bins.

[Grant B]

Very Interesting. Never seen that before.

 

[500E]

Still strange

[delorean]

Yeah, that company made all kinds of cool stuff. Check out the collective in that picture--switches & buttons for landing light, etc. They also made plastic floor coverplates too which were MUCH better than the crappy ones from Robinson. They had some auxillary switch panel that mounted up by the headset ports and another down in front of the heater control (which included another map pocket). They made some sort of radar altimeter too.

 

I have their old catalog around somewhere.....I'll try to find it (but they went out of business in the mid to late 90s).

[Scarab]

Cant understand why anyone would want to make the 22 a lot harder to get in and out of. Thats the beauty of the factory cyclic.

[PA Pilot]

I found this helicopter for sale on Ebay that apparently used to be owned by Altair, which I guess makes aftermarket parts for R-22's. I thought the cyclic was pretty cool, but a search on google for their product information yielded no results.

 

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1990-ROBINS...0QQcmdZViewItem

 

This helicopter also has a modified collective and outboard storage bins.

My recollection is that Robinson threatened to void the warranty (not that that's worth much) if an owner installed that mod, and that it's now off the market. Pity...

[Witch]

I wonder why they'd void the warranty?

 

Bummer when corporate interferes with the free market.

 

Later.

[Eric Hunt]

I saw this cyclic kit at HAI in Miami in 1993. Interesting piece of work - that vinyl-covered knuckle half-way up (with the friction adjuster) is a hinge that allows the handle to pivot up to get it away from a passenger who is not a student. It also lets it move up and over and around your knees if you are tall. It is a bit clumsy to enter and depart the cockpit, but not any worse than a JetBanger.

[joker]

Why bother?

 

Surely a cyclic is a cyclic. The word pertains to the job that peice does when the control rods get to the rotor head...not the shape or form at the human end.

 

To me, trying to develop a 'conventional cyclic' for a R22 is just the same as...er....hmmm...putting a gear stick that moved like an manual (stick shift) gear stick into an automatic car! What is the point?

 

Robinson designed the R22 for easy access. Personally, I did not find the T-bar any problem.

 

And looking at that modified collective! Are they serious. They really appear to be trying hard to make their little R22 as much like a Blackhawk / S76 / Dauphin / (insert any other helicopter with big fat collective with loads of buttons at end) as they can! Small man's syndrome!?

 

Just my thoughts!

 

Joker

[Goldy]

I guess its no secret why they don't make the mod anymore !!...but the company is not out of business as I understand it, they just don't manufacture those mod's anymore.

[Guest pokey]

i have no problem w/ the cyclic in the robinson i fly a 300

 

oh &? now i remember what that modified cyclic reminds me of,,,,any one remember that cartoon "beany & cecil-the sea sick sea serpant"? stick reminds me of cecil when he was sick !

[Guest pokey]

oh oH OH !!! i love the "betty boop" eyes on the collective switches too !

OR? is that a telephone?-----hmmm, upon further investigation of that picture, WTF is that?

[helomike]

Actually, I had the opportunity to fly the helicopter in the photograph, with the cyclic mod. The company Altair started in Norwood MA. Just south of Boston. They (Altair) went on to produce several "mods" for the R22. At the time I had less than 100 hours total time and only had flown the "standard R22". However, the center cyclic mod seemed to be a big hit. It actually gave the helicopter a nice "feel". Getting in and out was just as easy as the "T" bar mechanism. A few years later, I actually got the chance to ask Mr. Frank Robinson at the begining of the factory course, what he thought of the center cyclic. He seemed a bit miffed that I brought up the question in front of numerous other R22 pilots that also were aware of the mod. He (in a nutshell) said he did not approve of the mod due to weight reasons. he mentioned that the center cyclic mod was heavier than the "T" bar system, and that "the R22 already had a weight problem". All in all, I got the firm impression that Frank didn't approve of ANYONE tampering with his design. In fact, if your helicopter went back to the factory for the (then 2000 hour) overhaul. Robinson would remove the cyclic mod, re-install the original equipment and return the center cyclic parts to you in a box. Altair has since moved on to much bigger & better things than R22 mods. I too have moved on from the R22. However, the photo and that mod brought back some fond memories from my earliest training days! Thanks!

 

Michael C. Flaherty