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Robinson R44 / R66 SAFETY ALERT regarding hydraulic control

ATTENTION R44 and R66 USERS

Robinson has issued an R44/R66 SAFETY ALERT

Issued: December 23, 2020

Updated: January 8, 2021

HYDRAULIC CONTROLS REQUIRE PRE-FLY INSPECTION

RHC has received a report of stiffness in the hydraulic control components during flight.

It has been detected that one of the three hydraulic servos exhibits excessive internal wear.

This condition should be detected during the pre-flight inspection.

In addition to checking the hydraulic system according to the normal procedures outlined on page 4-8 of the Pilot Operating Handbook, the following should be done:

With the helicopter at governor speed ready for flight and the collective lever fully lowered, set the control stick approximately 1 inch (2.5 cm) rearward from the neutral position.

You should quickly move the control stick forward about 5 cm, then quickly back about 5 cm.

There should be no resistance, which we can compare to the resistance when the hydraulics are off.

NOTE:
This check does not have to be a continuous forward and backward movement. A pause between forward and backward movement is acceptable. A feeling of resistance indicates that the servo is moving too slowly. A short video demonstrating the check is available in the following link:

https://robinsonheli.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/hydraulic_pre_takeoff_check.mp4

If you feel resistance, do not fly! Ask the technical staff to contact RHC technical support.