MD Helicopters MD 600
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The MD Helicopters MD 600N is a light utility civilian helicopter designed in the United States. It is a stretched eight-seat development of the five-seat MD 520N helicopter.
Design and development
McDonnell Douglas Helicopter Systems (MD Helicopters since 1999) first announced it was developing a stretched MD 520N in late 1994, at that time designated the MD 630N.[1] The prototype, a modified MD 530F, had made its first flight on November 22, 1994. McDonnell Douglas gave the go-ahead for the production aircraft, redesignated the MD 600N, in March 1995.
McDonnell Douglas stretched the MD 520N fuselage by inserting a plug aft of the cockpit/cabin bulkhead and stretching the NOTAR tail boom. The larger fuselage allows for an extra (middle) row of seats. Other differences compared with the MD 520N include a new six blade main rotor (the MD 520N has a five blade unit) and an uprated Allison (now Rolls-Royce) Model 250 turboshaft.
The prototype was modified to MD 600N standard with a production standard engine and tail boom and flew in November 1995, followed the next month by the first MD 600N production prototype.[1] Certification was awarded on May 15, 1997, and deliveries began that June.
Following the 1997 Boeing/McDonnell Douglas' merger, Boeing sold the former MD civil helicopter lines to Netherlands-based RDM Holdings in early 1999.[1]
On March 8, 2017, MD Helicopters unveiled a concept variant known as the MD 6XX.[2] Unlike the MD 600, the MD 6XX utilizes a traditional tail rotor and shares its T-tail design with the smaller MD 500/530F. Further development of the model has been suspended, and certification has been delayed indefinitely.[3]
Operators
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- United States Border Patrol (retired)[7]
Specifications (MD 600N)
See also
Related development
Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era
- AgustaWestland AW119 Koala
- Bell 407
- Eurocopter AS350 Écureuil
- Eurocopter EC130
- Marenco Swisshelicopter SKYe SH09
- PZL SW-4 Puszczyk
Related lists
References
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- ↑ a b c Frawley, Gerard: The International Directory of Civil Aircraft, 2003–2004, page 156. Aerospace Publications Pty Ltd, 2003. Template:ISBN.
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