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MD Helicopters is an aerospace company that produces helicopters primarily for commercial use. Coverage here includes the company's tenure as McDonnell Douglas Helicopter Systems, a subsidiary of McDonnell Douglas.

Schweizer 300CB, which began as the Hughes Model 269 in the 1950s.

Hughes OH-6A Cayuse helicopter in police livery. Note original slanted stabilizer design on tail and four-bladed main rotor, characteristics shared with the civilian Hughes 500C.

The company began in 1947 as a unit of Hughes Aircraft, then was part of the Hughes Tool Company after 1955.^[1] It became the helicopter division of Hughes' Summa Corporation in 1972,^[2] and was finally reformed as Hughes Helicopters, Inc. in 1981. However, throughout its history, the company was informally known as Hughes Helicopters.^{[citation needed]} The company was sold to McDonnell-Douglas in 1984.

Hughes Helicopters produced three major designs during its 37-year history. The Model 269/300 was Hughes' first successful helicopter design.^[3] Built in 1956, and entering production in 1957, it would eventually become part of the Army inventory as a primary trainer (TH-55 Osage). In 1983, the company licensed Schweizer Aircraft to produce the Model 300C, which Schweizer continues to produce to this day.

In May 1965, the company won the contract for a new observation helicopter for the U.S. Army, and produced the OH-6 Cayuse (Hughes Model 369).^[4] The OH-6 was later developed into the civilian Model 500, variants of which remain in production to this day.

In 1975, the company won the contract for the AH-64 Apache attack helicopter.^[5] By December 1981, six AH-64A prototypes had been built and the Army had awarded a purchase contract to the company.^[6] Production would reach more than 1,100 by 2005.

Israeli Air Force AH-64 Apache attack helicopter in the Israeli Air Force museum.

In 1984, Hughes Helicopters, Inc. was sold to McDonnell Douglas by Summa Corporation. McDonnell-Douglas paid $500 million for the company, which was renamed the McDonnell Douglas Helicopter Company. This became McDonnell Douglas Helicopter Systems in 1985. In 1986, McDonnell Douglas sold all the rights to the Model 300C to Schweizer Aircraft.

On August 1, 1997 McDonnell Douglas merged with Boeing, but Boeing's plans to sell the civil helicopter lines to Bell Helicopters in 1998 were thwarted by the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC).^[7]

In 1999, Boeing completed the sale of the civilian line of helicopters to MD Helicopter Holdings Inc., an indirect subsidiary of the Dutch company, RDM Holding Inc. The line included the MD 500 and variants as well as the family of derivative NOTAR aircraft that originated with Hughes Helicopters Inc. Boeing maintained the AH-64 line of helicopters, and rights to the NOTAR system.^[8]

After suffering dismal commercial performance, the company was purchased in 2005 by Patriarch Partners, LLC, an investment fund.^[9] The company was recapitalized as an independent company, MD Helicopters, Inc.^[10] MD Helicopters is based in Mesa, Arizona.^[11]

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MD 902 (German police)

(Both under McDonnell Douglas and MD Helicopters)

• MD 500
• MD 520
• MD 530
• MD 600
• MD Explorer
  • Light Ultility Helicopter

• AH-64 Apache - Retained by Boeing in 1998.

• MD Helicopters official site.
• Light Utility Helicopter (LUH) home page
• MD Helicopters background page

• Hughes Helicopters
• NOTAR