On 31st March 1990, prototype of R44 helicopter performed its maiden flight.
The Robinson R44 was developed in the 1980s by Robinson Helicopter Company. It was based on the manufacturer´s previous successful rotorcraft design, Robinson R22, that was introduced into the market in 1979.
Similarly to its predecessor, the R44 concept was created by Frank Robinson, the American aviation engineer and entrepreneur. The rotorcraft received its first certification in December of 1992 and its deliveries commenced early next year. Shortly after, the R44 became the best-selling general aviation helicopter in the world, with approximately 6,500 examples built until today.
The rotorcraft made aviation history in 1997, when Jennifer Murray became the first woman to complete a round-the-world flight with a helicopter. Flying the R44, she covered a distance of 57,936 kilometres (36,000 miles) in 97 days.
More information about the R44 can be found here, in one of our articles from the Photo of the Week series. We also recommend to check the story of Frank Robinson, the vision-driven pioneer and aerospace engineer who defined and shaped the general aviation helicopter industry.
