[3] Due to relatively low acquisition and operating costs, the R22 has been popular as a primary rotorcraft trainer around the world, entry-level personal helicopter, and as a livestock-management tool on large ranches in North America and cattle stations in Australia.

The R22 has a very low-inertia rotor system[4] and the control inputs are operated directly by push rods with no hydraulic assistance.

Thus, its flight controls are very sensitive and require a light touch to avoid overcorrection, and students who master an R22 are usually well prepared to transition to heavier helicopters.

[7] The first R22 sold, October, 1979, S/N 003, N1010WR, was purchased by Pacific Wing and Rotor, Inc., represented by Tim Tucker who later became a test pilot and chief instructor for Robinson.

The R22 has been offered as an instrument trainer version, with optional fixed floats as the R22 Mariner, and other special configurations for police work, electronic news gathering, and so on.

The R22 Beta II received a larger Lycoming O-360 engine derated for sea-level operation.

This makes it easier for occupants to enter and exit the cabin and reduces chances for injury in the event of a hard landing.

Collective and cyclic pitch inputs to the main rotor are transmitted through pushrods and a conventional swashplate mechanism.

The pilot needs to make only small adjustments by twisting the throttle grip on the collective throughout the flight regime.

[13] The R22 uses a horizontally mounted Lycoming O-320 (O-360-J2A on the Beta II), flat-four, air-cooled, naturally aspirated, carburetor-equipped, reciprocating engine.

JTI Air Holdings, Inc., offers an STC allowing use of 91+ octane non-ethanol automotive gasoline.

[15] As the air becomes thinner with increasing altitude, maximum available horsepower decreases, reaching a point where the throttle can be completely open and rotor speed is controlled by collective lever position.

Pulling the control up slides a gate valve near the carburetor that admits warm air from a scoop on the exhaust system.

Immediately after engine start, the clutch switch located in the cockpit is closed by the pilot, powering the actuator to slowly raise the upper sheave to flight position, which tightens the belts.

Because the main rotor has very little mass and inertia, autorotation in an R22 requires careful and proper execution to assure a successful outcome.

Target speed in an autorotation is 65 kn (120 km/h) and the glide ratio is approximately 4:1 in maximum-glide configuration.

R22’s manufactured after 1991 include a ¾” diameter tow ball mounted on the bottom of the fuselage, near the front and offset slightly to the left.

This makes it possible for a single person to move the helicopter, even over significant distances or not-level surfaces.

Tow carts are available with no motive power, a gas engine or one or two electric motors operated from one or two batteries.

The two-bladed rotor and the small size of the R22 make transporting the helicopter without blade folding or dismantling tasks possible.

The R22 is the basis for Boeing's Maverick military unmanned aerial vehicle helicopter, and its Renegade version.

During the flight, the SEC assumed control of the aircraft to "execute autonomous maneuvering algorithms".

[18] The software allows the aircraft to autonomously select "optimal routes through a field of pop-up and known threats; flying low-level, terrain-hugging profiles to avoid detection; and determining safe landing zones using vision-based algorithms to process landing site imagery and terrain height information.

In Australia, where 489 R22s were registered as of mid-2011, a survey found that 62% of the fleet's flying time was in mustering operations, while 13% of hours were spent in training pilots.

In late 1981, the R22 had its type certificate temporarily revoked by the Federal Aviation Administration due to delamination of a main rotor blade.

The cause of the delamination was determined to be contamination of one of the bonded parts during a priming operation performed at an outside vendor.

[27] In the early 1980s, the R22 experienced a number of student-pilot related accidents due to the R22's use as a primary flight trainer.

[29] Robinson's statistics show the rate of fatal R22 accidents per 100,000 flight hours fell from 6.0 in 1982 to 0.7 in 1997.

Data from Robinson R22 Pilot's Operating Handbook.,[13] R22 Introduction and Specifications[33]General characteristics Performance