| MD 600N | |
|---|---|
 | |
| A MD 600N with NOTAR | |
| Role | Light utility helicopter |
| National origin | United States |
| Manufacturer | McDonnell Douglas Helicopter Systems MD Helicopters |
| First flight | 22 November 1994 |
| Status | In service |
| Primary user | United States Border Patrol |
| Produced | 1995–present |
| Developed from | MD Helicopters MD 500 |
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.
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. It is currently[ when? ] in development, with certification originally expected in 2020. [3] However, certification has been delayed indefinitely. [4]
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United States Data from The International Directory of Civil Aircraft, 2003–2004 [1]
General characteristics
Performance
Related development
Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era
Related lists
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