How do you lose an easy 26 pounds in a helicopter? If you’re in a Robinson R66 or R44, the answer is to switch out your battery. A few days ago, True Blue Power announced that its 17-amp hour TB17 lithium-ion battery has been granted type certification on the R66 and R44. It will also Bell’s new 505 Jet Ranger X.
At 16 pounds, the TB17 is significantly lighter than the R66’s standard 42-pound battery (or the 52-pound high-capacity option) that it will be replacing. In addition, True Blue Power claims that the TB17 will offer a 50-to-90 percent reduction in maintenance cost, increased payload and more efficient high-energy starts. The TB17 is an ’intelligent’ battery system, meaning, among other things, that it can communicate battery status to the pilot in real-time. It also has overcharge, over-discharge, over-current, short circuit, over-temperature, under-temperature and charge current limiting protection.
Learn more at True Blue Power and Robinson Helicopter Company.
