Robinson Unmanned R44 Airtruck Completes Offshore Cargo Demos in Louisiana
Why It MattersThe demonstration signals growing interest in remotely piloted rotorcraft for offshore cargo logistics, a segment traditionally served by crewed helicopter operators.
Robinson Unmanned's R44 Airtruck conducted offshore cargo demonstration flights at Acadiana Regional Airport (KARA) in New Iberia, Louisiana, on September 2 and 3. The flights included repeated approaches to a platform rigged to simulate an offshore deck, covering cargo loading and unloading, elevated deck landings, precision positioning, and airspace integration, with a two-person crew of one remote pilot and one ground-based visual observer.
Aviation Academy of Louisiana, the state's only authorized Robinson dealer and service center, conducted the flights, which were attended by offshore helicopter operator PHI Aviation along with invited industry and government observers. The Airtruck is built on Robinson's piloted R44 rotorcraft and adapted for remote operation using the RPX flight system developed by Rotor Technologies of Nashua, New Hampshire, with a useful load of 1,002 pounds, 63 cubic feet of internal volume, a cruise speed of 109 knots, and a maximum operating altitude of 14,000 feet. It currently flies in the experimental category in the United States and holds commercial approval in Brazil.
Robinson, headquartered in Torrance, California, unveiled its Robinson Unmanned business unit at Verticon in March. President and CEO David Smith described the initiative as an "era of both," pairing crewed and uncrewed aircraft, saying, "This is the 'era of both' in practice: the same airframe, the same parts, and the same people supporting manned or unmanned missions."
