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The Rotorway Exec Personal Helicopter
By James Grahame
Fifty years ago, visions of the future always seemed to include flying cars and Jetson-like homes on stalks. Now that the future is upon us, things look decidedly more down-to-earth.
That's one reason I'm showing off the RotorWay Exec 162F helicopter today. The other is that it's a really cool (and popular) recreational aircraft. The company has been in business since 1967, manufacturing over 800 helicopter kits. It's been an employee-owned operation for the last nine years, occupying 37,000 square feet of manufacturing space in Chandler, Arizona.
The Exec 162F was first introduced in 1994, improving on various previous designs. It has a cruise speed of 95 mph (152 kph), a two-hour range, and a service ceiling of 10,000 ft (3,000 m). RotorWay lists a minimum build time of 300-450 hours, but many spend substantially longer to create their own flying works of art.
Helicopters are tricky to master - you have to coordinate your hands and feet in an unusual manner and you need to get used to maneuvering in three dimensions. To get you up to speed, RotorWay offers on-site flight training using aircraft identical to the ones you build.
A complete kit including body, rotor, engine, controls and instruments costs $67,750. You can opt to buy your kit in four stages that allow you the time to build without having to fork over all of your cash at once. Still not sure if you have the skills to build and fly your own helicopter? RotorWay offers several DVDs and videos that should give you a solid understanding of the aircraft and its assembly.
RotorWay Exec 162F Helicopter (RotorWay International)
