MD Helicopters MD 500

what is it?

The MD Helicopters MD 500 series is an American family of light utility civilian and military helicopters. The MD 500 was developed from the Hughes 500, a civilian version of the US Army's OH-6A Cayuse/Loach. The series currently includes the MD 500E, MD 520N, MD 530F, and MD 530N. The MD 500 was initially produced by Hughes Helicopters as the Hughes 500.

🔎How to recognise it: 1 turboshaft engine · 8.3 m main rotor

base stats

• speed 282 km/htop speed
• range 413 kmwithout refuelling
• seats 3passengers
• size 1,610 kgmax take-off weight
• built 4,700made in total

Bars compare against all aircraft: 3,500 km/h, 20,000 km, 850 seats; size and number built on a log scale up to 640 t (An-225) and 45,000 built (Cessna 172).

fun facts

• 🎂First flew 63 years ago, in 1963.
• 🏎️Top speed is 2.2× a car on the Dutch motorway (130 km/h).

turboshaft: A turbine that turns a shaft, usually a helicopter rotor.

spec sheet

first flight

1963

introduced

1967

status

still flying

number built

4,700

role

light utility helicopter

origin

🇺🇸 United States

makers

MD Helicopters

engines

1× Allison 250-C30

crew

2

passengers

3

length

9.9 m

rotor diameter

8.3 m

height

2.7 m

max take-off weight

1,610 kg

top speed

282 km/h

cruise speed

250 km/h

range

413 km

ceiling

5,700 m

Specs are for the version in the Wikipedia article's specification section. Blank means the sources don't say.

family