In a press release, Kopter announced the sudden death of Richard Trueman.
Richard Trueman had been Chief Test Pilot of MSH/Kopter for several years. According to the manufacturer, his involvement and work were absolutely essential in the development of the SH09 program.
“We owe him a great deal,” says the press release.
He joined the company in 2015 and was extremely proud to be able to say that he was “the only pilot to have piloted all the SH09 prototypes”: P1, P2 and P3; a feat that is unlikely to be repeated…. And one, perhaps the best to leave in Kopter’s history book…“
Richard left Kopter earlier this year to focus on another mission, but he was scheduled to return to the team once the pre-production aircraft (PS05) is in the flight line.
The group said, “Richard will be greatly missed; his professionalism, honesty and loyalty made him a valuable member of the Kopter team. We will never forget all the hours we spent with him. Richard was always eager to stand up for what he believed in, with conviction, passion and also with his renowned sense of humour. And always with the same goal in mind: to make our SH09 the best single-engine helicopter ever built.“
