Robinson Helicopter Company and Unither Bioelectronics have entered into a collaboration agreement to accelerate UB’s development of hydrogen-powered helicopters based on Robinson’s popular R44 and R66 helicopter models. This strategic collaboration is expected to accelerate the development of zero-emission helicopters and increase the likelihood of regulatory approval.
Under the terms of the agreement, Robinson will provide its extensive engineering, technical, and regulatory expertise to help streamline the development and certification of these innovative hydrogen-electric helicopters to obtain certification from Transport Canada Civil Aviation (TCCA) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
“Just as protons from hydrogen atoms drive the mitochondrial powerplants in each of our body’s cells, we look forward to using protons from green hydrogen to drive the membrane-based fuel cell powerplants in our Robinson R66 organ delivery electric helicopters,” said Martine Rothblatt, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer of United Therapeutics “We are honoured to be working with one of the world's largest helicopter manufacturers as we continue to extend our track record of saving hundreds of lives through aviation-delivered transplanted lungs.
“This collaboration accelerates the development of sustainable transportation solutions for life-saving organs,” said Mikael Cardinal, Vice President of Program Management and Organ Delivery Systems and Head of the United Therapeutics Organ Delivery Systems (UTODS) development program. “Hydrogen-powered aircraft are the next frontier in sustainable aviation. We are committed to developing a zero-operational carbon emission fleet of aircraft, and we look forward to working with the expert team at Robinson Helicopter to enable regulatory approval and production of these aircraft.”
“Robinson is committed to leading the vertical lift industry into the next generation of flight,” said David Smith, President and CEO of Robinson Helicopter Company. “By deepening our existing relationship with Unither Bioelectronics, we can accelerate the arrival of zero-emission helicopters.”
Headquartered in Bromont, Québec, UB seeks to redefine how organs are transported for transplant via the UTODS. Currently, under development, the UTODS is intended to serve as a highly efficient and environmentally friendly transportation system capable of delivering manufactured organs from United Therapeutics’ facilities to transplant centres across North America. Under the UTODS program, UB is developing next-generation electric- and hydrogen-powered, optionally piloted vertical lift aircraft capable of operating from existing hospital air-transport infrastructure.
Unither Bioelectronics is driving the innovation and development of autonomous, environmentally friendly, airborne organ delivery systems. UB intends to develop and operate a fleet of next-generation, electric- and hydrogen-powered, optionally piloted, and powered-lift aircraft with the capacity to take off and land vertically at hospitals – capable of quickly delivering manufactured organs for human transplant. UB plays a critical role in support of United Therapeutics’ mission to address the unmet medical needs of patients with end-stage organ diseases.
For more than 50 years, Robinson Helicopter Company has been at the forefront of the helicopter industry by delivering safety-enhancing technologies, including OEM-designed crash-resistant fuel cells, 4K cockpit video cameras, autopilot systems, and NVG-compatible cockpits. Robinson is committed to developing, manufacturing, and supporting the most reliable and efficient helicopters in the industry.
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