Hughes/MD 500
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Has there ever been a 5 bladed version of the C model possibly C18 powered still with the old V tail?
I can remember a reference many years ago to one but it may have been inaccurate or just a pre D model testbed.
I can remember a reference many years ago to one but it may have been inaccurate or just a pre D model testbed.
Join Date: May 2001
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Danish Army 500Cs;
I believe that they have been maintained to a very high standard and that they are in fine condition - their age considered.
But unfortunately they have not been maintained according to current JAA/EASA regulations, so I suspect that it is unlikely that they will get european registrations - at least the Danish CAA have indicated that they won't have anything to do with it.
As far as I know most of them are on their way to N-reg one way or another.
RD
I believe that they have been maintained to a very high standard and that they are in fine condition - their age considered.
But unfortunately they have not been maintained according to current JAA/EASA regulations, so I suspect that it is unlikely that they will get european registrations - at least the Danish CAA have indicated that they won't have anything to do with it.
As far as I know most of them are on their way to N-reg one way or another.
RD
Dennis
You are right about G-RAMM now G-HAUS but there were only 11 369M's built to civi spec, all the rest were not and cant have a normal c of a cat.
Best person to speak to on this is Martin Lovell at Skytech helicopters, without doubt the best 500 engineer in the country.
You are right about G-RAMM now G-HAUS but there were only 11 369M's built to civi spec, all the rest were not and cant have a normal c of a cat.
Best person to speak to on this is Martin Lovell at Skytech helicopters, without doubt the best 500 engineer in the country.
New MD500
Taken from the Roto&Wing website:
The new model can be seen here.
Woolf
MD Helicopters have just announced the development of a new variant of their popular MD500 helicopter. This move is seen as a step to combat the rising market share of rival Eurocopter in the US market. The new MD500HS will be in direct competition with Eurocopters EC120 model. It is said that the MD500HS will be considerably cheaper in acquisition and running costs and also feature the following improvements:
Completely re-designed main and tail rotor:
The new design achieves a higher lift to weight ratio with shortened blades. This will help to minimise the footprint of the aircraft both in terms of noise and downwash.
High skids:
The extended skids will increase the aircrafts usefulness in rough terrain or tall grass and also allow the mounting of various types of equipment under the aircrafts fuselage. These modifications should attract new customers in various sectors.
MD Helicopters is confident that this new addition to the MD500 range will be a serious competitor on the US market and fill a market niche which currently exists in the law enforcement industry.
Completely re-designed main and tail rotor:
The new design achieves a higher lift to weight ratio with shortened blades. This will help to minimise the footprint of the aircraft both in terms of noise and downwash.
High skids:
The extended skids will increase the aircrafts usefulness in rough terrain or tall grass and also allow the mounting of various types of equipment under the aircrafts fuselage. These modifications should attract new customers in various sectors.
MD Helicopters is confident that this new addition to the MD500 range will be a serious competitor on the US market and fill a market niche which currently exists in the law enforcement industry.
Woolf
Last edited by Woolf; 28th May 2007 at 08:20. Reason: Link now working.
Going backwards?
That's odd, they seem to be going back to the old C model nose! Maybe the E model noses did have a strange effect on pitch after all! Great laugh. Thanks for getting my hopes up!
5-bladed OH-6A and cold weather mods for 500.
Hedski,
just saw your query re. a 5-bladed 500C. Don't know anything about a 500C, but the Snohomish Sheriff's Dept has a heli listed as an OH-6A. Reg is N13SD. It looks like an OH-6A but has two interesting features I haven't seen on any other civilian Y-tailed airframe; namely a four-bladed tail-rotor and a five-bladed main rotor. It carries a sizeable FLIR and a nitesun so, with this load, is probably fitted with a C20 unit. There are two possible explanations for this configuration;
1. Hughes developed a prototype dubbed the OH-6D (not the Japanese licence-built 500D) to compete with the Bell OH-58D for the AHIP contract in the early eighties. This was an OH-6A with a transmission and rotor system taken from the 500D and a mast-mounted sight. Maybe this is it turned over to the Police, just one of the few hundred OH-6As given away for very little to US Law Enforcement agencies in the nineties.
2. The other explanation is that it was formerly a Hughes 500P. Long story but basically the 500P was used by the CIA in Vietnam in 1972 for a special mission. Again its a Hughes prototype with a five-bladed main head and four-bladed tail rotor. Had an engine heavily insulated with sound-proofing material and a silencer fitted to the exhaust cone. With the extra blades, rotor RPMs were reduced to help make things quieter. Some of these improvements were incorporated into the 500C and lead to the 500D.
(I'd post a photo or two if I knew how.)
Finally, a question. Can anyone who flies a 500D please tell me the purpose of the semi-circular cover that fits in front of the rotormast at the front of the doghouse. Seems to be fitted to machines being used in very cold weather. Can anyone explain how it works?
Thanks.
just saw your query re. a 5-bladed 500C. Don't know anything about a 500C, but the Snohomish Sheriff's Dept has a heli listed as an OH-6A. Reg is N13SD. It looks like an OH-6A but has two interesting features I haven't seen on any other civilian Y-tailed airframe; namely a four-bladed tail-rotor and a five-bladed main rotor. It carries a sizeable FLIR and a nitesun so, with this load, is probably fitted with a C20 unit. There are two possible explanations for this configuration;
1. Hughes developed a prototype dubbed the OH-6D (not the Japanese licence-built 500D) to compete with the Bell OH-58D for the AHIP contract in the early eighties. This was an OH-6A with a transmission and rotor system taken from the 500D and a mast-mounted sight. Maybe this is it turned over to the Police, just one of the few hundred OH-6As given away for very little to US Law Enforcement agencies in the nineties.
2. The other explanation is that it was formerly a Hughes 500P. Long story but basically the 500P was used by the CIA in Vietnam in 1972 for a special mission. Again its a Hughes prototype with a five-bladed main head and four-bladed tail rotor. Had an engine heavily insulated with sound-proofing material and a silencer fitted to the exhaust cone. With the extra blades, rotor RPMs were reduced to help make things quieter. Some of these improvements were incorporated into the 500C and lead to the 500D.
(I'd post a photo or two if I knew how.)
Finally, a question. Can anyone who flies a 500D please tell me the purpose of the semi-circular cover that fits in front of the rotormast at the front of the doghouse. Seems to be fitted to machines being used in very cold weather. Can anyone explain how it works?
Thanks.
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500 Fan,
The semi-circular cover that fits infront of the rotor mast is called an inlet diverter. It is used to prevent falling snow from entering the air intake.
It must be removed when the outside air temp goes above a certain value (cant remember of the top of my head) to stop the engine temp getting to high.
The semi-circular cover that fits infront of the rotor mast is called an inlet diverter. It is used to prevent falling snow from entering the air intake.
It must be removed when the outside air temp goes above a certain value (cant remember of the top of my head) to stop the engine temp getting to high.
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369A
Does anyone out there in toyland know if a Hughes 369A (OH-6A) has ever been certified in the european market (i.e JAA/EASA).
Any info would be appreciated
All I have found are US Reg.
Any info would be appreciated
All I have found are US Reg.
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Phil Connolly up north who flies Huey G-UHIH has recently imported an OH-6A and appropriatetly registered it G-OHGA and the CAA data shows they are aiming for a permit for it as it will, like the Huey, only be flying for displays. At Heli-Expo it was confirmed he is getting a Cobra too..... Go to HUEY.CO.UK and off the Welcome menu check "Our Helicopters...." for photos.
I would expect that's the nearest you will ever get to a non-US registered OH-6A flying in Europe. Not EASA/JAA certified, Permit only.
I would expect that's the nearest you will ever get to a non-US registered OH-6A flying in Europe. Not EASA/JAA certified, Permit only.
H369A v OH-6A.
The closest thing to an OH-6A certified in Europe is probably this particular version of the Hughes 500, which I believe was certified as the H369HE and was refered to as the Hughes 369A.
Hughes 369HS, G-AYIA, Private
They were the first civilian versions delivered by Hughes in 1969. The instrument panel and rear doors were different from the OH-6A but otherwise they appear similar. The windows over the rear passenger compartment are of the larger variety commonly seen on the OH-6A. The later Hughes 500C has smaller overhead windows.
Hughes built a number of OH-6A demonstrators to promote the type in the late sixties and many were civil-registered and flown by the company at air shows around the world. They were never delivered to the U.S. Army. These, potentially, are the only OH-6As that might be eligible for inclusion on any civil register in Europe, except for the one mentioned by ppheli.
500 Fan.
Hughes 369HS, G-AYIA, Private
They were the first civilian versions delivered by Hughes in 1969. The instrument panel and rear doors were different from the OH-6A but otherwise they appear similar. The windows over the rear passenger compartment are of the larger variety commonly seen on the OH-6A. The later Hughes 500C has smaller overhead windows.
Hughes built a number of OH-6A demonstrators to promote the type in the late sixties and many were civil-registered and flown by the company at air shows around the world. They were never delivered to the U.S. Army. These, potentially, are the only OH-6As that might be eligible for inclusion on any civil register in Europe, except for the one mentioned by ppheli.
500 Fan.
The 369 HS and HE are identical apart from the fact that the HE (Hughes Executive) had a plusher interior. Both are left hand drive 5 seaters.
The HM is the nearest to the OH6 and came with a troop seat interior with hard points and is a right hand drive 4 seater. Reason for 4 seats is that the centre seat cannot be fitted as the pilots collective is a permanent fixture.
The HM cost more than the others due to the cost of the hard points.
The only HM I am aware of was originally Irish registered and belonged to one of the Ferranti brothers. There was a specific reason why a right hand drive aircraft was purchased but old age sadly has stolen that information. I do remember Ferrantis engineer Malcolm Ebbut telling me a tall tale about how his bosses eyesight was so poor he had a ships binnacle compass fitted just behind the centre console. Anyway the first time I ever saw the aircraft I made a beeline for the cockpit and lo and behold residing on the floor behind the console was a six inch gimbal mounted ships compass!!!!!!!!!!!!!l
The HM is the nearest to the OH6 and came with a troop seat interior with hard points and is a right hand drive 4 seater. Reason for 4 seats is that the centre seat cannot be fitted as the pilots collective is a permanent fixture.
The HM cost more than the others due to the cost of the hard points.
The only HM I am aware of was originally Irish registered and belonged to one of the Ferranti brothers. There was a specific reason why a right hand drive aircraft was purchased but old age sadly has stolen that information. I do remember Ferrantis engineer Malcolm Ebbut telling me a tall tale about how his bosses eyesight was so poor he had a ships binnacle compass fitted just behind the centre console. Anyway the first time I ever saw the aircraft I made a beeline for the cockpit and lo and behold residing on the floor behind the console was a six inch gimbal mounted ships compass!!!!!!!!!!!!!l
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Denis Ferranti lost his left eye motor cycle racing in the Isle of Man when quite young. The Irish caa made him sit in the right hand seat, hence the 500M, & a professional pilot sat in the left to keep an eye on the T & Ps! In spite of that handicap, even at age 69 when I flew with him, he did extremely well, also in his MU2
Another Malcolm Ebbut story involved the MU2. Apparently after a trip in the beast Mr Ferranti turned to Malcolm and said "this aircraft gives me a headache, go and buy me an HS125". So he did!!!!!
The joys of loads of money!!!!!!
The joys of loads of money!!!!!!
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That's not quite right. Dennis needed a long distance stoll machine & while refueling his HS125 in Gan ( if my memory is right!) on his way back from Sri Lanka, he saw a MU2 also refueling. He was so impressed with the MU2, he immediately bought one as it could land on a grass strip near his home which the HS125 couldn't. He also had a Bell 206 which he used to take to his chateau in the south of France while the 500 would go to his mansion in Scotland! An incredible person!!
I suspect that Malcolm was a believer in the old adage "never let the truth get in the way of a good story"!!!!!!!!!
Somewhere in the tale also lies a flying boat. Malcolm had a licence for a Grumman Mallard and I half remember that had something to do with Ferranti as well, although I could be totally wrong about that.
Somewhere in the tale also lies a flying boat. Malcolm had a licence for a Grumman Mallard and I half remember that had something to do with Ferranti as well, although I could be totally wrong about that.
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Airconditioning for MD500 series?
Does the transmission have a accessory drive on a MD500 to allow for airconditioning?
I have never seen a 500 series helicopter with AirCon.
I have never seen a 500 series helicopter with AirCon.