Now relegated to the pages of history, Hughes Helicopters was one of the largest helicopter manufacturers of its day. Among their most famous designs is the MD Helicopters MD 500 light helicopter, which originally began life as the Hughes 500.
Produced by three different companies (Hughes Helicopters, McDonnell Douglas Helicopter Systems and MD Helicopters) continuously since 1967, a total of 4,700 Hughes 500s (as it was originally known) have been built to date!
Beyond being one of the most produced helicopters in the world, the MD 500 is also one of the most famous, with a name that’s known across almost every generation and that’s synonymous with the word “helicopter” itself.
Pre-MD Helicopters MD 500
In 1947, aviation pioneer and billionaire businessman Howard Hughes incorporated Hughes Helicopters as a division of Hughes Aircraft. Producing their first design, a heavy-lift helicopter they called the XH-17, which ultimately proved unsuccessful.
Reorganizing as the aircraft division of Hughes Tool Company (also owned by Howard Hughes), where they focused on producing light helicopters, culminating in the Hughes 269, otherwise known as the TH-55 Osage in military service, in 1956.
In October 1960, the US Navy issued a technical specification, requesting design proposals for a turbine-powered, four-seat, light observation helicopter that could be used in several roles, such as: casualty evacuation, personnel transport and observation.
Among the interested manufacturers were Hughes Helicopters, who immediately began development a helicopter that fit the specifications set out by the US Navy. This design was known as the Model 369 and would eventually be given the designation of YOH-6.
Finishing the Model 369’s design by February 1961, it was submitted to the US Navy alongside designs from Hiller, Bell and Cessna among many others.
Despite being issued by the US Navy, the helicopter was actually intended for the US Army, not the Navy.
Interested in the Model 369, the US Army asked Hughes Helicopters to build them a prototype. After flight testing and evaluation was completed, the US Army settled on the Model 369/YOH-6, redesignating it as the OH-6 Cayuse.
Beginning production, costs began to rise and delays looked imminent. As such, the contract was opened once again.
Here, the newly designed Bell OH-58 Kiowa (a militarized variant of the JetRanger) won the contract, with a secondary contract being awarded to Hughes for the OH-6, albeit in fewer numbers than before.
Development
During development of the OH-6, engineers at Hughes Helicopters realized that with only a few minor alterations, the OH-6 would make a great civilian helicopter, beyond making a great military one.
As such, before the OH-6’s first flight on February 27 1963, Hughes announced that they were going to be producing a civilian variant of the OH-6 under the name Hughes 500.
Hoping to make it more appealing to civilian customers, Hughes redesigned much of the OH-6’s cabin.
By moving the battery that was underneath the seats in the OH-6’s cabin to the nose, Hughes were able to add an extra seat, increasing capacity from four to five.
Beyond increasing capacity, this also allowed Hughes to increase the size of the OH-6’s fuel tank, which increased the helicopter’s range.
Due to the increased weight, newer and more powerful Allison Model 250 engines were installed on the helicopter. This also had the unintended consequence of increasing the helicopter’s cruising speed.
Other modifications include shock-absorbing landing skid struts, a short-diameter main rotor system and a shorter tail, which makes it easier to control inflight and when hovering as well as making it more agile.
Despite making several major modifications to the OH-6, both helicopters were similar enough to be on the same type certificate, whilst still being two separate helicopters.
First flying on February 27 1963 (as the OH-6), the Hughes 500 entered service in 1967 (the OH-6 entered service a year earlier, in 1966).
Subsequent Development
Proving to be quite popular, Hughes increased its capacity accordingly, so it could meet demand.
As time progressed, other helicopter manufacturers released new helicopters which begun to steal customers away from the MD 500. Determined not to lose customers, Hughes Helicopters began development of newer helicopter variants.
The first variant came in the form of the Hughes 500D. Given a more powerful and fuel-efficient engine, an all-new five-blade main rotor and T-tail, the Hughes 500D was superior to the latest variants produced by its competitors.
Released in 1976, it wasn’t long before newer variants of its competitors’ helicopters soon made the Hughes 500D outdated. In 1982, Hughes Helicopters released the Hughes 500E, an executive transport variant.
Having a pointed nose for more aerodynamics and a virtually brand new interior with more head room and much larger legroom, the 500E was soon complimented by the introduction of the 530F, a variant of the 500E designed for hot and high flights.
In 1984, McDonnell Douglas entered talks with the Summa Corporation (the holdings company owned by Howard Hughes for his various business interests) to buy Hughes Helicopters.
Completed later that year, McDonnell Douglas became the owner of the MD 500 family. To reflect this, the Hughes 500E and 530F became the MD 500E and 530F respectively!
By 1991, the MD 520N had been introduced. Given the most amount of upgrades of any variant, the 520N is based on the 500E, but was given many of the upgrades, primarily its ability to fly in hot and high conditions, also found on the 530F.
Operational History
Having entered service in early 1967, the Hughes 500, later known as the MD 500, went on to have one of the most intriguing service histories of any helicopter to date!
Private
As one of the best helicopters currently on the market, the low costs and relatively large size of the MD 500 have been a selling point for private individuals to acquire the helicopter.
Popular among wealthier former military helicopter pilots (especially those who flew the OH-6 but also other pilots who flew larger helicopters), many of them form a group of eight or so pilots to acquire the helicopter together.
Operated solely for fun as a general aviation helicopter, these private MD 500s tend to fly to the extent of its range, flying general pleasure flights, or just to keep the pilots’ skills sharp.
Similarly, the relatively large size of the MD 500 has become popular with high net worth individuals, such as multimillionaires and billionaires, who acquire the helicopter for use as their private helicopter.
Thanks to its size, they’re able to transport themselves and their family over a fairly long range, or use it to avoid traffic on routes such as home to the office or home to the various high-end clubs and/or societies they’re apart of.
Emulating what these high net wort individuals have done, recent years have seem a number of lesser known celebrities or celebrity wannabes acquire the MD 500 for use as their personal helicopter.
Whilst some do genuinely need it, many have acquired the MD 500 in hopes of raising their profiles through media exposure associated with owning their own MD 500. Sadly, this rarely works.
Corporate
Yet it hasn’t just been private individuals who’ve acquired the Hughes/MD 500, so have many corporations. Acquiring the MD 500E variant (the VIP transport variant), the helicopter is used to transport their high-ranking executives.
Usually, the MD 500 is used to transport the corporation’s C-Suite-level executives like the CEO, COO and CFO (and perhaps the owner is they aren’t an executive) between the company office and the airport where the company jet is.
Depending on the company, it may even be used to transport the company’s CEO from his/her house to the office. Regardless, this is all done to avoid traffic.
Beyond its use as a corporate VIP transport, the MD 500 is also used by some corporations in a slightly different way.
Owing largely to its low costs and ability to also be used as a VIP helicopter if necessary, a number of power and utility companies operate the MD 500 as an inspection aircraft.
This variant is usually the MD 500C (formerly known as the MD 500U).
For instance, if there’s been a flood in an area that had phone lines, power lines or something similar, the company that owns them can fly the MD 500 to the flooded area and inspect the lines for damage once the flood had cleared.
Alternatively, corporations that own things like dams and airports can use the MD 500 to get close enough to the dam or airport to check its condition, without risking the lives of none-airborne inspectors, whilst also not risking damaging the dam or runway in the process!
Historically, several oil exploration companies also operated fleets of MD 500s thanks to their ability to be able to operate in extreme temperatures found in places like Alaska and Yukon (where there’s lots of oil).
Airlines
Seeing the Hughes/MD 500’s success as both a private and corporate helicopter, several helicopter airline divisions of major airlines have acquired the MD 500 to offer out to third parties.
The most notable of these airlines is Jakarta, Indonesia-based Pelita Air, who operated a fleet of 12 Hughes 500Cs from the early 1970’s until 1982 where they were given to the Indonesian Air Force.
In Pelita Air service, the Hughes 500C was mostly used by the airline as a faster, cheaper and more practical way to transport a few passengers between various airports they flew from on the different Indonesian islands.
Later on, Pelita Air began to offer inter-island pleasure flights too. Able to fly over many islands at once, Pelita could fly a group of vacations or photographers over the different islands for pleasure or for them to get aerial photos of the different islands.
Drawing inspiration from Pelita Air, a number of pleasure flight charter airlines began to offer similar services in other places, such as in Alaska (flying over glaciers), Arizona (flying over or down the Grand Canyon) and Nevada (flying over the Hoover dam).
Outside of the US, similar city hopper flights occurred, with companies offer air tours of major European cities like Paris, Madrid, London, Frankfurt and Rome so that tourists and photographers alike could take in the beauty of the city, from a bird’s-eye perspective.
Military
Despite having been developed from the OH-6 Cayuse – one of the most popular military helicopters ever – the modifications made on the OH-6 Cayuse to make the MD 500 have been very appealing to some militaries.
Used by military branches like the Costa Rican Air Vigilance Service (their equivalent of an air force), the Kenya Air Force, Honduran Air Force and Indonesian Air Force (formerly), the MD 500 is most often employed as a basic trainer.
When not, the versatility of the MD 500 allows it to be used in search-and-rescue (SAR), reconnaissance, light attack, Medevac and anti-submarine warfare roles (among many others).
To help distinguish these military MD 500s from their civilian counterparts, the military variants are marketed under the MD 500 Defender name.
Interestingly, between 1983 and 1985, North Korea illegally acquired 87 MD 500s through a front company in West Germany, called Delta Avia Fluggerate.
Keeping them out of sight for years, they were only revealed to the West in 2013 on the 60th anniversary of the end of the Korean War.
Heavily modified to be light attack helicopters, it’s suspected that they are used by North Korea for excursion flights over the South (whose army and air force operate a combined 270 MD 500 built in South Korea under license).
But it hasn’t just been traditional militaries that have acquired the helicopter. Private security/military contractors like Academi (formerly Blackwater) operate fleets of MD 500s modified with various defensive measures to transport high-value targets and/or VVIPs safely.
Under Boeing ownership (via MD Helicopters), the MD 530 was developed into the unmanned Boeing AH-6 light helicopter gunship, which has both military and civilian applications (although is currently marketed more towards the military applications).
Still under development, it’s currently on order with the Saudi Arabian National Guard (24 on order), Royal Jordanian Air Force (18 on order) and the Royal Thai Army (8 on order).
Police
Beyond appealing to military operators, the versatility of the MD 500 has made it quite popular with several law enforcement agencies too!
Primarily popular in the US, mostly with the various metropolitan police forces (as well as a few larger Sheriff’s departments), such as the St. Louis Metro PD, Pasadena Police Department and the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department.
Used by them as classical police helicopters, eg. to pursue criminals through areas land-based units may not be able to get to, the MD 500 has become quite famous in policing circles for its high effectiveness in both urban and rural environments.
Outside of the US, the MD 500 is also used by the National Police of Ecuador and the National Police of Colombia.
Acquired by both police forces to ostensibly catch domestic and international drug runners coming in and out of the country, the MD 500 is flown on reconnaissance flights to find drug running routes.
Once found, the helicopter can inform land-based units who can block the route off, or use it to spring a trap to catch the drug runners. In other cases, the MD 500 has been used much like it is in the US; to pursue targets in places other police vehicles perhaps can’t.
Another country whose police force uses the MD 500 is the Belgian Federal Police. Thanks to the MD 500’s versatility, it is often used by them to pursue criminals by air, transport high-ranking officials and perform reconnaissance missions. Sometimes all at once!
Beyond Belgium, another European police force that uses the MD 500 is the Hungarian Police.
Through using the helicopter to spy on the human and drug trafficking operations of the transnational Hungaro-Slovak mafia, Hungary have been able to put some of its most dangerous criminals behind bars.
Interestingly, the MD 500 was also used by Italy’s State Forestry Corps – a now-defunct (since 2016) regional/provincial police force and park ranger unit. Here, it was used as in a surveillance role, spying on illegal poachers, illegal construction and environmental violations.
Since the SFC’s absorption into the Carabinieri in 2016, the MD 500 has been retired, replaced by other helicopters like the AW139.
Flight School
Whilst nowhere near as popular as the Robinson R22 or Bell 47, an increasing number of flight schools are beginning to turn to the MD 500 as an alternative to other helicopters.
Larger and more complicated than the R22 and Bell 47, which often serve as basic trainers, the MD 500 is usually employed by flight schools as an intermediate trainer of some kind.
In most cases, the flight schools have acquired ageing (and thus cheap) Hughes 500 and MD 500 helicopters to help them expand.
Having fleets of R22s, R44s, Bell 47s etc. it can be hard for many of these flight schools to continue to acquire new helicopters at a reasonable price as they expand.
An alternative to overpaying for helicopters or waiting for months or years for a reasonably priced helicopter to come on the market, many have acquired the older Hughes and MD 500s as intermediate trainers.
This move has relegated the simpler R22s, R44s, Bell 47s etc. to the position of basic trainer, whilst the MD 500 takes on the role of intermediate trainer.
Beyond generic flight schools using the MD 500, there are also several flight schools that purposefully acquire and fly the MD 500 so they can help students get their MD 500 type ratings (as much like a fixed-wing aircraft, each helicopter has a different type rating).
Many of these MD 500 type rating specialist flight schools also offer type rating proficiency flights, as many countries require pilots to perform a proficiency check flight with an examiner every 12 months, which these schools offer.
Movies
As one of the most popular helicopters ever built, it’s safe to say that the MD 500 is everywhere. Perhaps not surprisingly, several have been featured prominently in movies and TV shows.
Whilst many of these have been aviation-related in some way, most often the MD 500 is just used as a prop, usually in some form of airport/airstrip scene, where they can be seen in the background as characters make their way to other aircraft.
Although the OH-6 Cayuse makes just as many appearances in popular media, it is technically a different helicopter, so won’t be mentioned here.
The first movie to feature the Hughes 500 was the 1973 telemovie Birds of Prey. In one scene, traffic reporter Harry Walker (David Janssen) is seen having an aerial gunfight with a group of armed bank robbers using a Aerospatiale Lama as their getaway vehicle.
In the 1978 film Capricorn One, the ending shows a pair of Hughes 500s getting entangled with a crop duster biplane.
Likewise, during the 1979-1981 drama series 240-Robert, the characters (a specialist unit of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, or LASD) routinely fly a Hughes 500 alongside their fleet of four-wheel drive land vehicles.
During one episode of the famed 1980’s TV show Magnum P.I., Thomas Magnum’s friend Theodore Calvin is shown flying a civilian Hughes 500D for tourist air charter business Island Hoppers.
In the 1983 movie, Blue Thunder, antagonist Colonel Cochrane is ordered to stand down. Instead, Cochrane attacks the Blue Thunder helicopter with a heavily modified MD 500 attack helicopter before ultimately being shot down.
The most recent direct use of an MD 500 in a movie or TV show occurred during the 1990 film Fire Birds. During the film, the fictitious Scorpion attack helicopters (based off the MD 500) are featured in several scenes and are the subject of much dialogue.
Beyond that, the nature of the MD 500 also makes it perfect for filming, with several MD 500 helicopters being used to film aerial shots (usually of cities like LA, New York and London) for films and TV shows each year!
Price
Hoping to beat its competitors’ designs on price, Hughes Helicopters built the OH-6 to be as cost-effective as possible. Being developed from the OH-6, the Hughes/MD 500 has inherited this characteristic.
When it was first introduced, the Hughes 500 as it was then known carried one of the lowest price tags of any helicopter then on the market – something that’s continued even to this day.
For a brand new MD 500E straight from MD Helicopters, you’d be looking at paying around $1.9 million to acquire it. Although this may seem like a lot, for a helicopter this is still incredibly cheap, especially given its specs!
However, as it’s been on the market for well over 50 years, its safe to say that there are quite a few Hughes/MD 500s available on the secondary market.
On the cheap end, a 1970/1980’s-era MD 500C/D can set you back anywhere from $825,000 to $950,000, averaging at around $900,000.
Likewise, a “newer” MD 520 or MD 530 would set you back anywhere from $1.25 to about $1.375 million depending on things like age, variant and total number of hours/landings.
For the more famous MD 500E (the corporate variant), you’d be looking at paying around $1.1 million on average.
In terms of cost to operate, the MD 500 is similarly quite cheap. Assuming you were to fly the MD 500E for 450 hours per year, it would cost you $765 per hour to operate, with older variants being only mildly more expensive.
Specifications
As one of the most popular helicopters in history, several variants of the MD 500 were designed and built. Naturally, some were more successful than others.
Whilst by no means the only successful member of the family, by far the most prevalent is the MD 530F, one of the more recent members of the family, which is still in production.
| Specifications | MD Helicopters MD 530F |
|---|---|
| Length | 32 ft 7 in (9.93 m) |
| Main Rotor Diameter | 27 ft 4 in (8.33 m) |
| Height | 8 ft 9 in (2.67 m) |
| Crew | 2 |
| Passengers | 3 |
| Cruise Speed | 250 km/h (155 mph; 135 kn) |
| Range | 430 km (267 mi; 232 nmi) |
| Service Ceiling | 18,700 ft (5,700 m) |
| MTOW | 3,550 lb (1,610 kg) |
Why Has The MD Helicopters MD 500 Been so Successful?
Having been continually produced since 1967, Hughes Aircraft, McDonnell Douglas Helicopter Systems and now MD Helicopters, have built a combined 4,700 MD 500s to date, making it the seventh most produced helicopter ever.
So this begs the question, why has the MD 500 been so successful?
Primarily, the reason has been its versatility. As the OH-6 Cayuse, it was designed to be a multiuse military helicopter, which the MD 500 inherited. This in turn, has allowed several different types of operates to use it in hundreds of roles.
As a result, hundreds more orders for the Hughes/MD 500 have been placed over the years.
Secondly, there’s also specs and pricing to consider. Whilst not the most technically advanced helicopter in the world by any means, Hughes designed it to have just the right amount of tech, which has slowly been added upon with each new variant.
Combined with the helicopter’s relatively low price tag, many operators have seen it as the best deal they’re ever going to get for a helicopter!
Another reason is also time. Continually produced over a period longer than 50 years, the MD 500’s various producers have had time to develop many different variants that have appealed to various types of customers.
Looking at how many MD 500s get built per year (on average 87), it isn’t too dissimilar to other helicopters. It’s just that time has allowed it to compound.
How Safe is The MD Helicopters MD 500?
When it comes to helicopter safety, the majority of the world tend to believe that helicopters are dangerous. Whilst helicopters are still quite safe to fly, they are slightly more dangerous than flying conventional fixed-wing aircraft for a variety of reasons…
Indeed, a number of high-profile helicopter crashes have occurred in recent years meaning most people have that in the back of their mind.
Yet, for those flying on the MD 500, it doesn’t necessarily tell you how safe or dangerous the helicopter truly is.
All in all, a total of 4,700 MD 500s have been produced, a total of 876 have been involved in an aviation-related accident of some kind, resulting in a total of 529 fatalities.
In terms of numbers, this means that a little more than 18% of all the MD 500s ever built have been involved in a crash of some kind. Naturally, this makes the MD 500 one of the most dangerous helicopters in the world!
However, it must be stated that most of these crashes/fatalities come from older members of the MD 500 family.
For starters, when these older variants were designed and built, safety regulations were laxer, and our knowledge of aerodynamics was less advanced than it is today. Many of these early MD 500s also served in the military, where some were shot down.
Being older, these ageing MD 500s tend to have more faults, which are not always obvious when they’re inspected.
For newer variants of the MD 500, such as the MD520, however, it is extremely safe, having only had a few crashes to date, with very few fatalities. Recent years have also shown a general decrease in the total number of crashes and fatalities on the MD 500.
This is mostly because these older (and more dangerous) MD 500s are being retired more and more each year and replaced with their younger (and safer) counterparts.
Put simply, the newer the MD 500 (eg. produced since 2000), the safer the MD 500, whilst the older it is (eg. produced before 2000), the more dangerous it is.
Legacy
As one of the most popular and longest-produced helicopters on the planet, the Hughes/MD 500 has left an incredibly far-reaching legacy on almost every aspect of the aviation industry – something we can begin to see today!
Hughes Helicopters
Howard Hughes founded Hughes Helicopters as a division of Hughes Aircraft due to the failure of his fixed-wing aircraft, most notably the H-4 Hercules flying boat and XF-11 reconnaissance aircraft.
In the late 1940’s and early 1950’s, Hughes Aircraft was a joke in the aviation industry. Yes, they were producing state-of-the-art missiles and satellites, but the failure of their fixed-wing aircraft still hung over them.
The introduction and subsequent success of the TH-55 Osage managed to silence many in the industry. Yet, the company still had many critics, some of whom were louder than others.
With the success of the MD 500, however, these critics no longer had anything to criticize. The H-4 and XF-11 had failed over 20 years ago, and all the company’s aircraft since had been great hits.
Those who tried to criticize or mock the company for their past mistakes were in turn, mocked themselves.
Through this higher standing, Hughes Helicopters were able to begin development of even more helicopters, many of which later flew for its successor companies!
MD Helicopters
After McDonnell Douglas acquired Hughes Helicopters in 1984, Hughes Helicopters was rebranded as McDonnell Douglas Helicopter systems and officially became the helicopter subsidiary of McDonnell Douglas.
To reflect the change in ownership, all helicopters then under design by Hughes were given new names, hence why some members of the family still bear the original “Hughes 500” name and others don’t.
Upon McDonnell Douglas’s merger with Boeing in 1997, the name of the company was changed once again, this time to MD Helicopters (with “MD” standing for “McDonnell Douglas”).
Whilst not the only helicopter produced under the ownership of all three, the Hughes/MD 500 was by far the most popular of their helicopters, bringing in millions of dollars in revenue each year.
Using this extra revenue, the company was able to fund development of new variants of the helicopter, as well as entirely new helicopters, such as the MD 600 (from the MD 520N), MD Explorer (MD 900/902) as well as the AH-64 Apache.
What do you think of the MD Helicopters MD 500? Have you ever flown it? Tell me in the comments!
Featured image courtesy of Santiago Restrepo Calle via Flickr.