Hughes 369
The Hughes (later McDonnell Douglas and MD Helicopters) 500 series is a small, fast, egg-shaped light helicopter known for exceptional agility, a legacy of its rigid rotor system shared with the larger Bo105 and BK117. Police departments and light military operators favour it for reconnaissance and observation work, where its speed and manoeuvrability offer an edge over slower rivals. A quiet, five-blade NOTAR tail-rotor-less variant was later developed for law-enforcement and covert surveillance operations. Decades after its 1960s debut, updated 500-series helicopters remain in production for both civilian and light military customers.
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Did you know?
The Hughes/MD 500's egg-shaped fuselage and rigid rotor give it exceptional agility, making it a favourite for police reconnaissance work.
Specifications
| Length | 7.5 m (25 ft) |
|---|---|
| Height | 2.7 m (9 ft) |
| Rotor diameter | 8.1 m (26 ft) |
| Maximum passengers | 4 |
| Persons on board | 5 |
| Maximum take-off weight | 1.7 t |
| Range | 267 NM (494 km) |
| Maximum speed | 152 kt (282 km/h) |
| Service ceiling | 16,000 ft (4,877 m) |
| Optimum ceiling | 8,000 ft (2,438 m) |
| Rate of climb | 1,900 ft/min (9.7 m/s) |
| Fuel capacity | 240 l |
| Engines | 1x Rolls-Royce (Allison) 250-C20B |
| Units built | 4,700 |
Curated by CatchFlights from manufacturer documents, ICAO Doc 8643 and reference works; values are left out where no source could confirm them. Sources are listed on our credits page.
In CatchFlights
In CatchFlights the Hughes 369 starts as a Uncommon catch. The tier is an editorial judgement of how special a sighting of this type is. The more often you catch it, the closer it moves to Common for you.
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