58 SA Flyer MagazineIn a utility role, it can carry more than
its own weight as sling load. It got its rotor-
head from the Apache attack helicopter,
and, like the Enstrom, it is fully articulated,
giving it superior ride quality, agility and
manoeuvrability when compared to the two
bladed machines. It has five short blades
and a very short tail-boom. The blades
protrude only about a metre beyond the
nose, so it can land in the most confined of
areas.
Some say the MD looks sleek and
sexy – others call it a flying egg. But there
is a reason for that: aerodynamically – for
parasite drag reduction – the egg shape
is the most efficient. So it’s not surprising
that it’s the fastest of all machines using
the same engine, making it the most
cost efficient on a per kilometre basis.
Mechanically it is also the strongest cabin- try to squash a hard-boiled egg in your
fist. The MD’s cabin is a steel cage that
stays intact even if skids, tail and rotor have
separated, making it the preferred tool for
utility operators that are flying outside the
height velocity diagram most of the time.
The MD, more so than the Enstrom and
Jetty, keeps it capital value, and somehow
commands a slight premium in its niche
market. There’s no doubt that this can,
in part, be attributed to the actual flying
experience. The R66 flies like an R44 on
steroids; the Enstrom is as stable and easy
to fly as a fixed-wing that can hover, but it is
so slow that some say it needs a calendar
instead of a stopwatch on the dashboard;
and the JetRanger flies like any other
helicopter – it does what it says on the box.
But, the MD500, like the RVs of the fixed-
wing world, is guaranteed to put a broad
smile on any pilot’s face.
PRE-FLIGHT
Just walking up to the MD on the ramp
feels different. It is special. In South Africa
it is rare – there are only a few on the CAA
register still flying. Scarcity fuels exclusivity
and there is almost no flight school offering
training on it.
The pre-flight is simpler than on most of
the other machines – no pumps, fuel valves
or circuit-breakers need to be switched on
and off – just strain the centre belly drain.
The oil levels of the engine and gearboxes
are easily visible without having to open
any panels, and the engine and engine bay
can be inspected standing on the ground- there’s no need to climb around the
flight test
Rear passengers can hardly see
each other, as their heads are
separated by the drive shaft and
gearbox routing between them.
One of the first things author Christoph
Andrykowsky did when he added
helicopters to his licence was get a
conversion onto the MD500 - in Arizona.