Richard Webb (pilot)
Richard Webb (Born March 11, 1962) AKA “Ric Webb”, is a commercial helicopter pilot in the USA and Canada, helicopter mechanic, eVTOL test pilot, space operations badge recipient and the founder/owner of OC Helicopters and Eco Helicopters.
Bio
In September 2016, the world's first electric-powered full-size helicopter took flight at Los Alamitos Army Airfield.[1] Piloted by Ric Webb, this flight was conceived and mathematically demonstrated by Martine Rothblatt, president of Lung Biotechnology PBC handled by Glen Dromgoole of Tier 1 Engineering.[2][3]
The helicopter, a modified Robinson R44 weighed 2500 pounds with its test pilot, flew for five minutes, attained 400 feet, and exceeded 80 knots airspeed, all completely powered by rechargeable batteries.[4] Design and development partners in the project include Rinehart Motion Systems and Brammo, Inc. The project, which was sponsored by Lung Biotechnology PBC, is the first phase in the development and production of an Electrically-Powered Semi-Autonomous Rotorcraft for Organ Delivery (EPSAROD).[4]
On February 16, 2017, Ric Webb flew the electric helicopter, establishing a new world record of a 30-minute duration flight and an 800-foot altitude at Los Alamitos Army Airfield. At the end of the flight, the 2500 pound helicopter still had 8% state of charge remaining in its Brammo batteries.[5] On March 4, 2017, Martine Rothblatt and Webb set a world speed record for electric helicopters of 100 knots at Los Alamitos Army Airfield under an FAA Experimental permit for tail number N3115T. This was also the first-ever flight of two people in a battery-powered helicopter.[6]
Webb's company OC Helicopters and Island Express Helicopters was sued at Los Angeles Superior Court in 2020 by Kobe Bryant's wife for suggesting the route for the ill-fated flight. The company denied responsibility and said they have acted as a travel agent and not have “operational control.[7]
Awards
Webb, along with the team of OC Helicopters, received The American Helicopter Museum & Education Center (AHMEC) Annual Achievement Award for innovation in rotary-wing flight.[8][9]
Notes
- ↑ "Watch the World's First Manned Battery-Powered Helicopter Fly". Fortune. Retrieved 2021-07-20.
- ↑ "enrg.io". enrg.io. Retrieved 2021-10-20.
- ↑ "Watch: Pilot Pioneers Harrowing, Low-Level Wingsuit Flights". Science. 2015-05-26. Retrieved 2021-10-10.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 First ever two-person electric helicopter flight, retrieved 2021-10-13
- ↑ First ever two-person electric helicopter flight, retrieved 2021-10-22
- ↑ "Farthest flight by an electric helicopter (prototype)". Guinness World Records. Retrieved 2021-10-22.
- ↑ "Helicopter Company Sued in Fatal Kobe Bryant Crash Denies Responsibility". KFI AM 640. Retrieved 2021-10-22.
- ↑ "Electric helicopter creators to accept AHMEC award". Vertical Mag. Retrieved 2021-11-01.
- ↑ Group, MediaNews. "Electric helicopter creators to receive award in West Chester". Daily Local News. Archived from the original on 2020-03-03. Retrieved 2021-11-01.
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