Photograph:
McDonnell Douglas MD-900 N900MD (c/n 900/00002) at the Farnborough Airshow, United Kingdom in September 1994 (David C Eyre)
Country of origin:
United States of America
Description:
Utility helicopter
Power Plant:
Two 469 kw (629 shp) Pratt & Whitney PW206B turboshafts
Specifications:
- Rotor diameter: 10.31 m (33 ft 10 in)
- Length overall: 11.84 m (38 ft 10 in)
- Height: 3.66 m (12 ft)
- Rotor disc area: 83.52 m² (899 sq ft)
- Max cruising speed at sea level: 267 km/h (167 mph)
- Max rate of climb at sea level: 853 m/min (2,800 ft/min)
- Service ceiling: 3,900 m (12,800 ft)
- Hovering ceiling in ground effect: 1,220 m (4,000 ft)
- Max range at 1,525 m (5,000 ft): 584 km (363 miles)
- Max endurance: 3 hrs 30 mins
- Empty weight: 1,481 kg (3,265 lb)
- Max internal payload: 1,162 kg (2,562 lb)
- Max slung load: 1,361 kg (3,000 lb)
- Loaded weight: 2,835 kg (6,250 lb)
History:
The MD-900 Explorer was formally launched by McDonnell Douglas Helicopters as the MDX in January 1989. Using technology developed for the MD-520N, the MD-900 was designed from the outset to have NOTAR, ten prototypes being built, Nos 1, and 3 to 7, being for static tests. No 2 (N900MD) made the first flight at Mesa, Arizona on 18 December 1992; No 8 prototype (N900MH) flying on 17 September 1993. Certification was received in December 1994. By the beginning of that year the manufacturer announced it had received 257 non-refundable deposits and planned production rate was 108 aircraft per year.
The Explorer was built largely of composites and could lift 1,150 kg (2,535 lb) internally or 1,350 kg (2,976 lb) externally. A range of new technology was incorporated to improve safety and performance. This included NOTAR yaw control, composite bearingless main rotor with five blades, digital avionics, FADEC etc. FAA certification for single-pilot IFR operation was received in January 1997. By December 2002 total fleet time had reached 120,000 hours.
Hawker de Havilland Australia became a partner in the project in 1989, and was responsible for final design and airframe production, airframe sections being built at Bankstown, NSW and shipped for final assembly by McDonnell Douglas (some 200 units being supplied) with engine, transmission, and other systems. Kawasaki Heavy Industries was responsible for production of the transmission, and Canadian Marconi provided the instrumentation.
A number of variants were made available: the MD-900 Explorer was the basic initial civilian utility model with Pratt & Whitney PW206B engines. The MD-902 was an improved variant with Pratt & Whitney PW206E engines, transmission approved for dry running for 30 minutes at 50% power, improved air inlets, NOTAR inlet redesign, a fire suppression system, a more powerful stabiliser control system, and single pilot IFR operations, later becoming known as the 902 configuration. Engine later fitted in the MD-902 was the Pratt & Whitney P207E turboshaft providing 477 kw (640 shp).
The Combat Explorer appeared in June 1995, aircraft No 15 (N9015P) being the first completed in this configuration, and this was shown at the Paris Air Show. It had the ability to operate utility, medevac, or combat missions and armament included 70 mm rocket pods, 12.7 mm (0.50-in) machine gun pods, chin-mounted FLIR, and a roof mounted NightHawk surveillance and targeting system.
The first 128 Explorers were powered by the Pratt & Whitney PW206B engine but thereafter the 478 kw (641 shp) Turbomeca TM319-2 Arrius 2C became available. This variant was at one stage designated MD-901. Production of the series continued but production of the fuselage was no longer undertaken in Australia.
In 1995 it was announced a demonstrator was being imported for Flightline Aviation in Australia but in the event this machine was not imported, the first MD-900 being imported in late-2013, commencing operations from Rockhampton, QLD as N900AF, later becoming VH-EPX (c/n 900-00023 – ex N015Y, N900AF, VH- [ntu], N900AF) to Rotor Force Australia of Neurum, QLD on 12 November 2013. This aircraft was first operated in 1995 by MD Helicopters of Mesa, Arizona as N9015Y. From July 1996 it was with Vulcan Northwest Inc of Bellevue, Washington and was placed on the market for sale in April 2012. Its registration was cancelled in April 2013 as sold to Australia and it was expected to be registered at that time but in fact operated from Mascot, NSW for a period using its American registration. It was then returned to the United States and operated by Bill Haydon Gunn of New York from September 2013 until sold to Rotor Force Australia Pty Ltd of Neurum, QLD in November 2013, becoming VH-EPX, being owned by Westpac Banking Corp. In mid-2019 it was cancelled from the Australian register as exported to the United States.
In 2015 an MD-900 was granted Type Acceptance by the Civil Aviation Authority of New Zealand based on its FAA Type Certification No H19NM, this being certification as all-inclusive and authorised restriction-free operation of the type throughout New Zealand, a machine being imported in late-2015, becoming ZK-IYN (c/n 900-054) and being operated by Farm Group / Rotorforce NZ Ltd of Dunedin in association with MD Helicopters. A further example arrived in 2019 and became ZK-IOT (ex N690BJ, N9017P) with Rotorforce.