Jordanian air force buys eight Robinson R44 helicopters to replace fleet of old Hughes 500Ds
TORRANCE, Calif., 27 Oct. 2014. The Royal Jordanian Air Force in Amman, Jordan, needed light helicopters to replace its fleet of ageing Hughes 500D helicopters that have been in service since 1981. They found their solution from Robinson Helicopter Co. in Torrance, Calif.
Leaders of the Jordanian air force have chosen the Robinson R44 Raven II to replace their fleet of Hughes 500D military helicopters. The Robinson R44s for Jordan have Garmin and Aspen glass avionics, and Bendix King’s new military KTR909 UHF transceiver.
The white R44s will be used for primary flight training and will be based at the King Hussein Air College in Mafraq, Jordan. The decision to use the R44 came after a four-member delegation led by Jordanian air force Brig. Gen. Walid Jaradat visited the Robinson factory in March.
Deciding factors included the R44’s low maintenance and operating costs along with positive feedback about the R44 from a neighboring country’s air force, according to Jordanian air force Col. Imad Ghwein.
The first four R44s are scheduled for delivery at the end of this year with the second four to follow in early 2015, Robinson officials say. Ten Jordanian air force pilots have attended Robinson’s safety course and 12 Jordanian air force mechanics are attending the company’s maintenance course.
The Robinson R44 Raven II helicopter has a Lycoming IO-540 fuel-injected, angle-valve, tuned-induction engine, which eliminates the need for carburetor heat. The standard 28-volt electrical system ensures starting in hot or cold weather, and provides additional electrical power for optional equipment.
The four-seat R44 light utility and trainer helicopter has an empty weight of 1,495 pounds and a maximum gross weight of 2,500 pounds. It can lift as much as 828 pounds of passengers and baggage, can cruise at 116 knots, and has a maximum range of 300 nautical miles.
The helicopter can fly as high as 14,000 feet above sea level, and can climb faster than 1,000 feet per minute.
For more information contact Robinson Helicopter online at www.robinsonheli.com, or the Royal Jordanian Air Force at www.rjaf.mil.jo.
John Keller | Editor
John Keller is editor-in-chief of Military & Aerospace Electronics magazine, which provides extensive coverage and analysis of enabling electronic and optoelectronic technologies in military, space, and commercial aviation applications. A member of the Military & Aerospace Electronics staff since the magazine's founding in 1989, Mr. Keller took over as chief editor in 1995.
