N656RB - 1997 Schweizer 269C Aircraft Registration

N656RB is a 1997 Schweizer 269C, a single-engine reciprocating (piston) aircraft registered to Optimal Lift LLC in Montrose, CO. This aircraft holds a standard airworthiness certificate issued by the Federal Aviation Administration on February 2, 1997. The registration certificate was issued on July 2, 2024. The registration is set to expire on July 31, 2031. Powered by a Lycoming HIO-360 SER engine producing 205 horsepower, N656RB is. The aircraft's Mode S transponder code is A8A47D (hex), used for ADS-B identification and flight tracking. N656RB was last tracked by AviatorDB at coordinates 38.5098, -107.8940 on July 28, 2024. The FAA registry record for N656RB was last updated on July 2, 2024. AviatorDB monitors aircraft positions through ADS-B surveillance data and updates records as new position data is received.

The Schweizer 269, originally the Hughes Model 269, was a pioneering lightweight helicopter that made rotorcraft accessible to civilian operators for the first time. First flown on October 2, 1956, it was a two-seat utility helicopter powered by a Lycoming piston engine with a three-blade articulated rotor system. With a 27-foot rotor diameter and cruise speed of 90 mph, the aircraft offered unprecedented affordability at $22,500 for the 269A variant in 1961. Manufactured initially by Hughes Tool Company's Aircraft Division and later by Schweizer Aircraft Corporation. AviatorDB tracks 1,365 Schweizer aircraft currently registered in the FAA database. The ICAO type designator for this aircraft model is H269.

AviatorDB has found no NTSB accident or incident reports involving N656RB. AviatorDB cross-references all FAA registration data with NTSB accident and incident reports, providing a comprehensive safety overview for every registered aircraft in the United States.