Aircraft overview
The Robinson R22 is a compact, two-seat helicopter with a piston engine, a two-bladed main rotor and a conventional two-bladed tail rotor. Its small cabin and simple skid landing gear make it a familiar light-helicopter training and personal-flying type.
The specifications below describe the Beta II. Approved in January 1996, it uses the larger Lycoming O-360-J2A engine, with the power permitted in the helicopter set below the engine’s standalone rating.
Photograph: Ian Kirk · 30 June 2013 · Photo source: Robinson R22 Compton Abbas 30th June 2013 (9215815327) · CC BY 2.0
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At a glance
Robinson R22 Beta II · O-360-J2A installation
- Engine
- One Lycoming O-360-J2AFour-cylinder, air-cooled, carburetted piston engine.
- Installed continuous / take-off power
- 124 / 131 bhp131 bhp is limited to five minutes; both at 2,652 rpm.
- Main rotor
- Two blades · 25 ft 2 in diameterTeetering and coning rotor; rigid in its plane.
- Tail rotor
- Two blades ·42 in diameterConventional tail rotor.
- Maximum gross weight
- 1,370 lb ·622 kgAlpha, Beta and Beta II limit; earlier models differ.
- Cabin
- Two placesMinimum crew one pilot; solo operation from the right seat.
In Air Defender
Role guidance · v0.8.16.0
Air Defender v0.8.16.0 lists the R22 for training and personal use. It is a small civilian-helicopter reference, separate from the game’s larger transport types.
Compare the R44 and use Aircraft Data with flight-plan information. A catalogue role does not establish what one contact is doing.
Game catalogue values · v0.8.16.0
In-game specifications
These figures come from the game’s general aircraft reference. A matching civilian register entry can supply different fields in Aircraft Data. How to read the two layouts →
- Role
- Light Helicopter
- Category
- Light Helicopter
- Service ceiling
- 14,000 ftA reference upper height. Read Flight Info for the contact’s present height.
- Maximum speed
- 102 knotsA reference maximum, not the speed the aircraft is flying now.
- Cruise speed
- 96 knotsA typical speed for the main part of a flight, not a guaranteed commanded speed.
- Stall speed
- Not specified as a stall-speed valueA zero in the game catalogue means no usable stall-speed figure is supplied; it does not mean the rotor blades cannot stall. FAA helicopter handbook: rotor-blade stall →
- Typical crew
- 1
- Powerplant
- Single piston engine (Lycoming O-360) Compare engine types →
- Manufacturer
- Robinson Helicopter Company (USA)
Use the right procedure
In depth
The Beta II development
The Beta II was approved on 31 January 1996, from serial 2571. It uses the O-360-J2A, rather than the O-320 installations found in earlier R22 versions.
The larger engine does not give the helicopter its full catalogue power in normal use. The installation is limited to 124 bhp continuously, with 131 bhp available for a five-minute take-off period.
Two-bladed rotor system
The main rotor can teeter and cone while remaining rigid in its own plane. Its diameter is 25 ft 2 in; the two-bladed tail rotor is 42 inches across.
Teetering lets the two main blades tilt as a unit about their hinge. Coning allows the blades to rise under lift.
Belts, clutch and gearboxes
Two double V-belts connect the engine to the upper sheave. A sprag-type overrunning clutch connects that assembly to the drive line, and spiral-bevel gears transmit power to the main and tail rotors.
The reduction between the drive line and main rotor allows the rotor to turn much more slowly than the engine. The overrunning clutch permits the rotor system to continue turning without being locked to engine speed.
Piston engine and cooling
The O-360-J2A is a normally aspirated, four-cylinder engine with a carburettor. It is air-cooled, with a directly driven blower providing cooling airflow.
Its engine rating and helicopter operating limits are different figures. The published maximum-continuous helicopter setting is 124 bhp at 2,652 rpm, while the five-minute Beta/Beta II take-off setting is 131 bhp at the same engine speed.
Fuel arrangements and loading
The older aluminium-tank arrangement totals 30.7 US gallons, with 29.7 usable. Later bladder tanks have a different combined capacity:28.0 gallons total and 26.3 usable.
The Beta II gross-weight limit is 1,370 lb. Occupants, baggage, fuel and installed equipment all contribute to that total, so the two-place cabin does not establish the load available with full fuel.
Variants
Earlier R22 / HP
O-320-powered versions; the Standard and HP have a lower 1,300 lb gross limit.
R22 Beta II
O-360-J2A version approved in 1996, with 124 bhp continuous and 131 bhp five-minute installed limits.