Aircraft program
Light single turboshaft utility helicopter. Includes 500E, 530F, 530G, 540F, and 564 variants.
The aircraft as engineered: what it is built from, the systems it flies with, and its configuration — each box a theme.
Technical reference compiled with AI research; a value appears only where two independent research passes and a web fact-check agree. Gaps are deliberate.
Supplier geography and market analysis for this program — with an Analytics subscription.
Subscribe| Variant | Launch / first flight | Production end | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| MD 500E | 1982 / 1982 | Production: 1 (2023). Replaced MD 500D, single-engine helicopter. | |
| MD 530F Lifter | 1982 / 1982 | Production: 8 (2023) GAMA: MD Helicopters, LLC MD 530F. Upgraded military variant. | |
| MD 530F Cayuse Warrior | 1984 / 1984 | Armed variant, includes TH530 (trainer) variant. | |
| MD 540F | 2012 / 2013 | Upgraded 530F variant with fully integrated glass cockpit for US Armed Aerial Scout program. | |
| MD 530G | 2013 / 2013 | Armed aerial scout variant of 530F, includes AH530 (light attack) variant. | |
| MD 564 | 2026 / | Enhanced variant with increased payload capacity. Variant uses same 500-series fuselage but with a six-blade main rotor, and a four-blade tail rotor, hence '564' designation. |
| MD Helicopters, LLC | News |
The program’s dated history — milestones, contracts, supplier selections and facilities, each linked to its source. Log in to view.
Information on this page is compiled from a variety of published sources; links do not necessarily imply recommendation or confirmation by the airframe manufacturer.
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