Robinson Helicopter Co. out of Torrance, California, has released a service bulletin requiring all R22 owners to replace the fuel bladders for their helicopters. The bulletin, SB 109, affects all R22s up to and including S/N 4620. Any helicopters beyond that serial number were produced with the new fuel bladders, Robinson says.
The aluminum tanks installed in the thousands of affected helicopters are being replaced to reduce the possibility of a post-accident fuel leak. The new fuel bladders are made of nylon-reinforced rubber material. This is not an emergency SB, but Robinson recommends that owners and operators replace their fuel bladders as soon as practical. At minimum, the replacement must take place before the 2,200-hour overhaul or 12-year inspection.
Robinson is subsidizing the installation by making great reductions in the cost of the installation. The regular price for the required kit is $15,740, a price Robinson has brought down to $6,400. Customers will also get an $800 rebate upon completion of the installation, which is expected to take about 40 hours, not including paint refinishing.
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