Robinson Helicopter: Six Companies Turned Him Down. He Built It Anyway.
Flight Path
477 views
Frank Robinson pitched a small, cheap personal helicopter to six different employers. Every one said no. So he built it in his living room.
In 1973, at 43, Frank Robinson quit Hughes Helicopters and started his own company from a drafting table at home, convinced anyone should be able to own a helicopter. His two-seat R22 was certified in 1979 and became the world's top-selling civil helicopter — but its lightweight, low-inertia rotor also made it unforgiving, and in 1995 the FAA issued a special rule, SFAR 73, that applied only to Robinson helicopters. Robinson kept building anyway. His four-seat R44 has been the best-selling general aviation helicopter in the world every year since 1999, and the company has delivered more than 12,000 helicopters — without ever being sold.
Every date, dollar figure, and delivery number in this video is drawn from verified sources, including NTSB and FAA records.
⏱️ CHAPTERS
If you're into deep-dive business histories of the companies that built American aviation, subscribe — new documentary every week.
#Aviation #AviationHistory #BusinessHistory #GeneralAviation #RobinsonHelicopter
Robinson Helicopter: Six Companies Turned Him Down. He Built It Anyway.
Flight Path
477 views
Frank Robinson pitched a small, cheap personal helicopter to six different employers. Every one said no. So he built it in his living room.
In 1973, at 43, Frank Robinson quit Hughes Helicopters and started his own company from a drafting table at home, convinced anyone should be able to own a helicopter. His two-seat R22 was certified in 1979 and became the world's top-selling civil helicopter — but its lightweight, low-inertia rotor also made it unforgiving, and in 1995 the FAA issued a special rule, SFAR 73, that applied only to Robinson helicopters. Robinson kept building anyway. His four-seat R44 has been the best-selling general aviation helicopter in the world every year since 1999, and the company has delivered more than 12,000 helicopters — without ever being sold.
Every date, dollar figure, and delivery number in this video is drawn from verified sources, including NTSB and FAA records.
⏱️ CHAPTERS
If you're into deep-dive business histories of the companies that built American aviation, subscribe — new documentary every week.
#Aviation #AviationHistory #BusinessHistory #GeneralAviation #RobinsonHelicopter