MD Explorer / MD900
An international helicopter industry advisory board guided the design and development of the MD Explorer® with an objective to produce a multipurpose twin-engine helicopter that would set new standards in performance, affordability, dependability and safety.
The MD Explorer® was initially certified under FAA Part 27 in December 1994, and is currently certified by FAA and JAA for day/night VFR and single pilot IFR with full Category A design standards to JAR-OPS 3 performance Class I.
Powered by two Pratt and Whitney Canada PW207E engines, the MD Explorer® features a fully articulated main rotor system, bearingless composite flexbeams and rotor hub. Anti-torque control is provided by the patented NOTAR™ system that reduces pilot workload and external noise levels, and significantly improves safety in confined areas and on offshore platforms.
The eight-place MD Explorer® cabin is the largest in the light twin class and is accessed through two 52 inch (1.32m) sliding cabin doors and a large baggage compartment. Energy absorbing, stroking cabin seats meet stringent FAR Part 27.562 requirements up to 30g at 30 feet per second. The large cabin makes the MD Explorer® ideally suited for rapid role change from an Offshore/Onshore eight-place passenger transport to Emergency Medical Services or Law Enforcement missions. Large selections of optional equipment have been fully qualified to meet various operational requirements. A heavy-duty cargo hook permits 3,000-pound (1360-KG) external load operations.
MD Explorer® safety and maintainability are enhanced by built-in HIRF and lightning strike protection, built-in maintenance steps and platforms, and a composite airframe that is resistant to corrosion in a hostile marine environment.
In September 2005 Patriarch Partners LLC, a New York and Charlotte, NC, firm with more than $4.5 billion in assets, bought a majority stake in MD Helicopters from RDM Holdings N.V. of the Netherlands.
An immediate challenge is to compete for a $3 billion US Army order for a new light utility helicopter to replace Vietnam-era Huey choppers. MD is joining with Lockheed Martin to offer a slightly modified version of the Explorer.
