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MD Helicopters received FAA supplemental type certificate approval for an upgrade kit that replaces the Rolls-Royce 250-C20B engine with the -C30 engine on MD 500N helicopters.
According to the Mesa, Arizona-based OEM, the engine swap improves performance in hot-and-high environments while retaining the no tail rotor (Notar) system. Benefits include increased horsepower, enhanced hover performance, higher operational ceiling, and better safety margins in high-temperature and high-altitude conditions.
“This STC restores and enhances the performance operators expect, while preserving the unique advantages of the Notar system,” said MD Helicopters president and CEO Ryan Weeks.
Priced at $395,000 (including labor but excluding the engine), the upgrade kit is available immediately through the company’s authorized service center network. Operators can buy an engine from a service center or provide their own. MD Helicopters said removed components retain residual value that operators can recover to offset the upgrade cost.&nbsp;
This engine upgrade is part of the company’s Fielded Fleet Upgrade initiative aimed at maintaining capability for legacy aircraft. MD Helicopters has manufactured rotorcraft since 1947, with thousands of aircraft in service worldwide supporting military, law enforcement, utility, commercial, and VIP operations.

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