1973 : Hughes Model 77 (YAH-64)
wins US Army
AAH (Advanced Attack Helicopter) competition
September 30, 1975:
The YAH-64 has it first flight
1976 :
Hughes received the AH-64A full-scale development contract.
August 1981 :
AH-64A development completed
1983
Hughes licenses the Model 300 product line to the
Schweizer Aircraft Corp
January 1984 :
Mc Donnell Douglas acquired Hughes Helicopters
February 1984 :
Mc Donnell Douglas AH-64A Apache
deliveries began.
1986 :
The Hughes Model 300 product line is finally sold to Schweizer
1990s: Commercial Helicopters
MD 500 series NOTAR (NO TAil Rotor)
This configuration uses jet thrust rather than blades to give the directional stability , providing the world's quietest helicopters.
MD 600 series
MD 900 Explorer ( MDX )
1992 :
Venezuelan helicopter pilots Francisco Pacheco and
Tomas Spanier flew a record-setting, trans-Atlantic trek from
Venezuela to Spain on a MD 500D .
Beginning on October 11, 1992, from Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.,
and ending at Palos de la Frontera on December 16,
the flight was marked as the longest over-ocean flight
1997 :
Boeing acquired Mc Donnell Douglas.
Bell Helicopters ( Textron Inc. )
try to buy the MD 500 and 600 series, but didn't want the Explorer
because they have their own twin turbine models, so by this time its future is unknown.
The AH-64 Apache is now owned by Boeing.
1998 :
The initial planned sale of the commercial line to Textron Inc. fell through after
the Federal Trade Commission raised unspecified concerns.
February 19, 1999 :
Boeing sold commercial line to RDM.
MD Helicopters Inc is formed.
Sept 14, 2006 :
MD Helicopters NOTAR Fleet Clocks
670,000 Flight Hours
June 8, 2010 :
MD Helicopters
600th MD500
Contribution: Mc Donnell Douglas Corp Company press releases between 1986 and 1997
