MD Helicopters has won approval from the US regulator for the first of a series of upgrade packages for older D-model variants of the MD 500 light-single which, if combined, would bring it towards the level of the latest MD 530F model.
Covered by Federal Aviation Administration supplemental type certification (STC), the first enhancement to hit the market is the Super D20B upgrade, which through structural and aerodynamic improvements delivers an increase in maximum gross weight of up to 160kg (350lb).
Enhancements taken from the MD 530F include longer main and tail rotor blades, an upgraded main gearbox, modified tail boom and new vertical and horizontal stabilisers. However, there is no change to the stock 420shp (313kW) Rolls-Royce M250-C20B engine.
First to adopt the Super D20B package is North Carolina-based Aerial Solutions which will put its modified MD500 into service in the coming days.
List price for the enhancement is $350,000 but can be offset if the operator sells the D-model parts being replaced.
Another two upgrade packages are in the works. First to arrive – potentially as soon as December – will the Super D30, which uses the same structural and aerodynamic improvements with the addition of a 650shp-rated M250-C30 engine.
This will be followed in early 2026 by the Super D20R. Again, it uses the same airframe updates but also incorporates a 450shp M250-C20R powerplant.
MD Helicopters points out that as the upgrade kits are modular, operators who opt for the Super D20B enhancement today, can later move to the Super D20R or D30 by swapping engines.
“This STC represents a huge milestone for both MD operators and MD Helicopters”, says Ryan Weeks, chief executive of MD Helicopters, who promises five more updates in the coming months.
“The modular design of these upgrades allows operators to tailor enhancement to their specific missions and implement them in stages if needed.”
