HI Uplift: Robinson CEO explains need for ‘hard questions’

When it comes to advanced air mobility, David Smith, CEO, Robinson Helicopter Company, believes those most qualified “must ask the hard questions”.

Sitting down with Smith in July to record a podcast for our sister title Revolution.Aero, the far-ranging conversation touched on the potential of Robinson’s uncrewed aerial systems play Ascent Aerosystems, opportunities for crewed helicopters, the need to grow the domestic supply chain in the US and much more.

It would be remiss to say that listeners did not tune in for those parts of the discussion. Smith, an eminent commentator on advanced air mobility, offers what he would describe as a “contrarian” view to much of the distributed electric propulsion (DEP) eVTOL market. And his perspective has garnered support and opposition from colleagues across the vertical lift industry and beyond.

One overriding concern is what Smith perceives could be a generation lost in terms of talent hoovered up by DEP eVTOL companies.

“I started out in rocket science and that is now a much larger field than vertical lift, in which today’s product is the helicopter,” he says. “We are a very small community working on lifting products into the air and beating gravity in a hover. There’s also a very limited group of suppliers that provide parts into our industry.” 

Engines, avionics, motors, batteries, there are just a handful of total candidates for each of those technologies, and many of those don’t have pedigree, according to Smith. “Engineering is spread thinner than ever before,” he explains.

He also says the community of regulators who are  involved in the certification of vertical systems is very small. Plus, almost without exception, regulators are facing a rationing of resources versus demand.

“So my argument is the emergence of DEP eVTOLs is a talent tragedy on a big level, because there are technical problems with these products and they don’t get discussed enough,” he says.

Critical helicopter components

Smith believes understanding of critical helicopter components like swashplates and tail rotor design are “essential ingredients” to the missions being put forward by advanced air mobility (AAM) companies. Both are not typically found in eVTOL designs.

“As long as people fundamentally misunderstand the physics, everything else will ultimately fail,” he says. “The talent tragedy is that we may lose one or two decades of valuable industry exposure, learning and education for those coming into the industry in areas we really need.”

Smith spent 18 years at Textron before joining Robinson, including 13 years at Bell. When he joined a decade of major defence cuts had eroded talent. Bell was hit particularly hard, he says, with almost a generation missing.

“There were no people that were zero to eight years when I joined in. Those that were there had gone years without raises, promotions and bonuses. That was in part because defence cuts put pressure on the B-22 and on the H-1 programmes. 

“We’re in that now,” he continues. “The helicopter industry that supplies Blackhawks, Apaches and Chinooks is getting systematically defunded. Some of that might be political, some the emphasis on unmanned [systems], but some because there are venture capital messages that are getting to executive desks in Washington that are inaccurate.”

Messages are dangerous

Smith says these messages are dangerous to US national security. “Who is going to lift people out of the riverbed in Texas? It will be a real serious issue if the industries that we depend on for safety and security go away.”

While he says there is no question of a Blackhawk being replaced by an eVTOL, Smith believes if 20 years of talent choose to not work at Sikorsky because they think that’s not the best place to be, that is a serious issue. Especially, if suppliers and regulators begin “bandwagoning”.

“Ultimately, I think it’s a misguided thesis built on misguided physics that is directing far too many resources in the wrong direction,” he says.

The Robinson chief says general aviation needs “smarter people” to focus on things that are ultimately going to be commercialised. However, the economies of general aviation cannot afford the salaries offered by the big eVTOL startups.

“As the bubble deflates, there will be a significant casualty of talent leaving the industry because they can’t get paid what they got paid at these start-ups,” he adds. “Overall, venture capital has had a highly negative impact.”

Smith isn’t anti-innovation. Robinson Helicopter Company was involved in the first flight of a hydrogen fuel cell-powered helicopter, Rotor AI uses its R44 platform essentially as a drone, plus it just agreed to electrify an R66 platform with electric engine and battery developer MagniX.

Giving the example of Jetzero – a blended wing body airliner developer based just 20 minutes away from Robinson in Long Beach, California – Smith says if someone comes with a “massive step change”, that will make an impact.

“But replacing the small end of general aviation with a smaller product that performs far less efficiently won’t,”  he adds.

Listen to the full podcast here or via your chosen podcast platform.