MD Helicopters MD900 Explorer

History

The light utility helicopter (LUH) market can be lucrative for companies lucky enough to attract foreign buyers. MD Explorer is offered by MD Helicopters and has had some success in several fields, both military and civilian. It is an important part of the current MD Helicopters lineup, alongside the venerable MD500 series and MD600.

The MD900 is currently represented by the updated MD902 standard, which continues the product's established characteristics through affordability, reliability and performance in the LUH market.

The MD900 series is a multi-role platform that can be configured according to customer requirements. As such, it can be used in markets such as security, law enforcement, military, VIP/general passenger transport, light cargo transportation, search and rescue (SAR), special operations (SPECOPS), medical evacuation, and the oil and gas industry.

The helicopter was built with a sleek design appearance, with its elegantly sloping nose and smooth profile. The two pilot positions up front (side-by-side seats) are equipped with redundant controls, and wide-view glass panels provide excellent visibility and improved situational awareness outside the cockpit. Behind the cockpit is the passenger compartment, usually designed for six people. Above the canopy is a side-by-side twin-engine arrangement for driving a five-blade composite main rotor overhead, while driving a "NOTAR" ("NO TAil Rotor") system aft (MD900 design) is missing a conventional tail rotor unit).

The stern stock rises straight back with the shaft and ends in notary units. The stern has a twin-fin rudder. The landing gear is a simple four-point skid-mounted assembly.

Internally, the cockpit supports the Genesys Aerosystems Integrated (GAI) IDU-680 Series EFIS/EICAS/MFD fully digital "glass cockpit" with four large displays. The center console provides access to a common control system between the two pilot positions.

The passenger area can be arranged as six seats in a face-to-face tandem three-seater configuration, or changed to accommodate a medical stretcher with paramedic, wider seats for luxury VIP transport, or six seats and increased cargo space for work in offshore industry the rear.

The MD900's anti-torque capability is typically managed by the tail rotor to counteract the forces naturally occurring in the propeller/blade design, provided by the patented NOTAR system. The system uses more precise directional control to achieve the same effect without the complexity or danger of ground-exposed rotating blades.

Additionally, the NOTAR system reduces mission critical operating noise in some airports and congested urban areas.

The MD900 line begins with the original MD900 "Explorer" production model, which features 2 Pratt & Whitney PW206A, PW206E or PW207E turboshaft engines. Next up is the MD901 'Explorer' offer, which proposes a switch to 2 x Turbomeca 'Arrius' turboshaft engines, sourced from France, with three angel landing gear, but a lack of interest seems to have doomed the brand.

MD902 represents the current (and improved) production standard for MD Helicopters' MD900 series. They are powered by 2 PW206E or PW207E turboshaft engines and feature an upgraded Integrated Instrument Display System (IIDS). Older MD900 models can be upgraded to this standard.

Special military versions include the MH-90 "Enforcer" used by the United States Coast Guard (USCG) for intercept missions between 1998 and 2000. The MD969 "Combat Explorer" becomes a militarized, heavily armed, face-to-face work platform. Swift is a new model proposed by MD Helicopters for the U.S.

Army's ongoing Future Attack and Reconnaissance Aircraft (FARA) program.

Most of the MD900 helicopters in service are used for law enforcement and air ambulance operations.

Specification

Basic

Production

Roles

Dimensions

Weight

Performance

Performance

Armor

Changes