MD 500 Series - program supplier guide | Airframer

MD 500 Series

In production

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Overview Supply chain (49) Downloads

Light single turboshaft utility helicopter. Includes 500E, 530F, 530G, 540F, and 564 variants.

Photo: MD Helicopters

Lift type

Rotary wing

Construction

Factory-built

Control

Piloted

Engine type

Turboshaft

Application

Utility

Fleet facts business use worldwide · as at August 2026

In business use

663 aircraft

Production years

1970-2025

Average age

27.4 years

Main base countries

U.S.A. (174), New Zealand (39), Canada (18), Australia (9), Mexico (9)

Figures cover the worldwide fleet in business use — airline and military examples are not included. Fleet data: Business Air News research.

Design & construction

Primary structure

Aluminium

Landing gear

Skids

Ice protection

None

Pressurisation

Unpressurised

Flight controls

Mechanical

Autopilot

None

Avionics architecture

Standalone glass

Environmental control

None-unpressurised

Rotor configuration

Single main + tail

Certification

Part 27

Minimum crew

Technical reference compiled with AI research; a value appears only where two independent research passes and a web fact-check agree. Gaps are deliberate.

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Type variants

Variant	Launch / first flight	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.

Airframer

MD Helicopters, LLC

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Program milestones 17 dated events

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Information on this page is compiled from a variety of published sources; links do not necessarily imply recommendation or confirmation by the airframe manufacturer.