R22, R44 Helicopters Sport Company's Attitude Indicators

Aero-News learned Sunday that Robinson Helicopter Company has selected Mid-Continent Instruments as a primary supplier for flight instrument technology.

"We are proud to be a key partner with our friends at Robinson," said Matt Fowle, Western Region Manager. "Our association dates back to 1989 and was founded on performance and dependability. The 4300 and 3300 are vastly improved indicators that are perfect for mission critical helicopters like the R22 and R44."

The 4300 offers a high MTBF of 7,500 hours. The engineering design conquers the high vibration environment of helicopters. To assure performance under extreme conditions, the unit was put through advanced testing (DO-160E, section 20 HIRF).

"From a pilot perspective, these indicators excel in the rugged day-to-day activities that helicopter operators experience," stated Fowle. "We made sure that critical internal parts were designed to withstand these operations, whether it be flight schools or law enforcement duties."

The popularity of the 4300 Attitude Indicator is definitely growing with more than 10 aircraft manufacturers using it as standard equipment. With a 7,500 hour MTBF, the lifespan of this instrument is two to three times greater than that of the older electric attitude indicators available.

"With the increased mean time between failures, the cost of ownership is about half of what other attitude indicators cost," said Fowle. "Both the 4300 and 3300 can be used as aftermarket replacements for the original legacy gyros shipped from the Robinson factory. Operators will find this helpful when a spare is needed because of the quick availability and lower cost of the Mid-Continent Instruments units."

Mid-Continent Instruments manufactures aircraft instruments for the general aviation industry. Specialties include gyro, altimeter, HSI and autopilot system overhauls. Mid-Continent instruments are found in new Cessna-built airplanes, Hawker Beechcraft’s line of Bonanzas, Barons, King Airs and 1900 Airliners. Other key customers include Garmin, Diamond, Piper, Robinson Helicopter Co., Eclipse, Vulcanair, Eurocopter, and Bell Helicopter.

FMI: www.mcico.com, www.robinsonheli.com