Robinson Helicopter Company achieved certification of the new turbine-powered R66 on 25 October 2010 during a ceremony held at the Robinson facility in Torrance, California, three years and eight months after the company had publicly announced plans to develop a five-place turbine helicopter.
The R66, the first Robinson with such power, has a single Rolls-Royce RR300 turboshaft engine. Like the piston-powered R44, the R66 has a two-blade rotor system and an open interior configuration but with increased reserve power and altitude performance.
The relationship between Rolls-Royce and Robinson Helicopter Company began in 2005 with the signing of a development agreement, and the two companies have worked closely since then to develop the RR300 engine, a development of the Allison C250.