McDonnell Douglas MD900 Explorer
1992 · Twin-engine intermediate turbine helicopter
The Explorer is a light twin engine NOTAR ( No Tail Rotor ) utility helicopter originally developed by McDonnell Douglas from 1989 but it is currently produced by MD Helicopters.
First flight took place on December 18 1992 by the second aircraft (N900MD). FAA certification was granted on December 2 1994.
It could be powered by either a twin Pratt & Whitney Canada PW206E or PW207E turbshafts engines
The original MD 900 was succeeded by the MD902 in 1997. The MD 901 was offered powered by two Turbomeca Arrius but none were ordered.
An armed version, named MH-90 Enforcer, was evaluated by the US Coast Guard but no further orders were received
First flight took place on December 18 1992 by the second aircraft (N900MD). FAA certification was granted on December 2 1994.
It could be powered by either a twin Pratt & Whitney Canada PW206E or PW207E turbshafts engines
The original MD 900 was succeeded by the MD902 in 1997. The MD 901 was offered powered by two Turbomeca Arrius but none were ordered.
An armed version, named MH-90 Enforcer, was evaluated by the US Coast Guard but no further orders were received
Specifications
| Engine | 2 x Pratt & Whitney Canada PW206E 646 shp |
|---|---|
| Capacity | 1 + 7 |
| Length (m) | 9.86 |
| Height (m) | 3.66 |
| Blades | 5 |
| Rotor diam. (m) | 10.31 |
| Disc area (m2) | 83.5 |
| Weight (kgs) | Empty: 1450 Max: 3000 |
| Speed (km/h) | Cruise: 240 Max: 250 |
| Range (km) | 300 |
| Ceiling (m) | 6000 |
Derivatives & Versions
| MD902 Explorer | 1997 | NOTAR Explorer enhanced version by MD Helicopters with Category A approval and additional engine isolation features and changes to the Integrated Instrument Display System. |
| → MD969 Combat Explorer | 2019 | Fist unveiled at Heli-Expo 2019 in Atlanta, the MD969 Combat Aircraft is a 8-seat weaponized configuration of the light twin-engine MD902 Explorer fitted with a full glass cockpit with 3 Genesys Aerosystems IDU-680 displays which also equipped the MD530G |