MD Helicopters, LLC.(formerlyMcDonnell Douglas Helicopter Systems) is an American aerospace manufacturer. It produces light utility helicopters for commercial and military use. The company was a subsidiary ofHughes Aircraftuntil 1984, whenMcDonnell Douglasacquired it and renamed it McDonnell Douglas Helicopter Systems. It later became MD Helicopters in 1999 after McDonnell Douglas merged withBoeing.
 | |
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Aerospace |
| Headquarters | Mesa, Arizona,U.S. |
| Products | Helicopters |
| Owner | Bardin Hill Investment PartnersandMBIAInsurance |
| Website | www |
History
edit
The company began in 1947 as a unit of Hughes Aircraft, then was part of theHughes Tool Companyafter 1955.[1]It became the helicopter division of Hughes'Summa Corporationin 1972,[2]and was finally reformed asHughes Helicopters, Inc.in 1981. However, throughout its history, the company was informally known as Hughes Helicopters.[citation needed]The company was sold toMcDonnell Douglasin 1984.
Hughes Helicopters produced three major designs during its 37-year history. TheModel 269/300was 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, designatedTH-55 Osage.In 1983, the company licensedSchweizer Aircraftto produce theModel 300C.Schweizer was eventually purchased by Sikorsky Aircraft, which is itself now a division ofLockheed Martin.
In May 1965, the company won the contract for a new observation helicopter for theU.S. Army,and produced theOH-6 Cayuse(Hughes Model 369).[4]The OH-6 was later developed into the civilianModel 500,variants of which remain in production to this day.
In 1975, the company won the contract for theAH-64 Apacheattack helicopter.[5]By December 1981, six AH-64A prototypes had been built and the Army had awarded a production contract to the company.[6]Production would reach more than 1,100 by 2005.
In January 1984, Hughes Helicopters, Inc. was sold toMcDonnell DouglasbySumma Corporation.McDonnell Douglas paid $470 million for the company and made it asubsidiarywith the nameMcDonnell Douglas Helicopter Systemsin August 1984.[7]In 1986, McDonnell Douglas sold all the rights to theModel 300CtoSchweizer Aircraft.
On August 1, 1997, McDonnell Douglas merged intoBoeing,[8]but Boeing's subsequent plans to sell the civilian helicopter line toBell Helicopterin 1998 were thwarted by the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC).[9]
In 1999, Boeing completed thespin offof the civilian line of helicopters to a newly formedMD 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 derivativeNOTARaircraft that originated with Hughes Helicopters Inc. Boeing maintained the AH-64 line of helicopters and rights to the NOTAR system.[10][11]
After suffering dismal commercial performance, the company was purchased in 2005 by Patriarch Partners, LLC, an investment fund.[12]The company was recapitalized as an independent company,MD Helicopters, Inc.[13]MD Helicopters is based in Mesa, Arizona.[14]Lynn Tilton,the Chief Executive Officer and sole principal of Patriarch Partners, was CEO of MD Helicopters until she relinquished control in March 2020 following bankruptcy court rulings related to Patriarch holdings.[15]
By March 2022, the manufacturer filed for USChapter 11 bankruptcyprotection for restructuration, to be acquired by acreditorconsortium led byBardin Hill Investment PartnersandMBIAInsurance, providing around $60 million of financing asdebtors.[16]
The new owners of MD Helicopters envision raising production to 50 helicopters a year by 2025 as the company rebuilds after exiting bankruptcy in August 2022.[17]The plans are part of efforts by the OEM's new owners to turn around the company's fortunes after what new CEO Brad Pedersen described as the “rocky heritage” of the manufacturer under different owners since it was spun off from themerger of McDonnell Douglas and Boeing[18]in the 1990s.
In 2023, the company closed out a long-running dispute withAerometalsover copyright and also has built closer relations with Boeing to cooperate on theAH-6 Little Birdplatform, which shares a similar airframe to the MD530F.[17]
Products
edit
(Under both McDonnell Douglas and MD Helicopters)
- MD 500
- MD 500 Defender
- MD 530
- MD 520(Currently just support, not production line)
- MD 600(Currently just support, not production line)
- MD Explorer(Currently just support, not production line)
(Under McDonnell Douglas only)
- AH-64 Apache- Product line transferred toBoeing Defense, Space & Securityin 1998
- MH-6 Little Bird- later underBoeing Rotorcraft Systemsand now as Vertical Lift division of Boeing Defense, Space & Security
In 2023, the outlook looks bleak for the restart in production of the twin-engine MD902 or further investment in the company’s No Tail Rotor (NOTAR) anti-torque system technology. CEO Brad Pedersen says the company is trying to support the MD902 “where it can,” but the production line for the aircraft has been dormant for 10 years, as has the supply chain for components. “The MD902 is a difficult discussion, and we don’t have a path forward right now,” Pedersen says.
In 2016, MD Helicopters had claimed it was making investments in the NOTAR technology, but Pedersen says there is no evidence of these efforts.
“The question is from a business standpoint, where do we spend our time focusing, and what’s the biggest bang for the buck?” Pedersen says. NOTAR, he suggests, is not a priority.[17]
See also
editComparable majorhelicopter manufacturers:
References
edit- ^Rumerman, Judy."The Hughes Companies".U.S. Centennial of Flight Commission.
- ^"The Hughes Tool Co.... Looking at Rotors".Post-War Developments: 1946-1956.Boeing. Archived fromthe originalon 2011-03-09.
- ^"Hughes Model 269A (TH55) Osage".SpruceGoose.org. Archived fromthe originalon 2008-12-21.Retrieved2006-12-07.
- ^"The Boeing Logbook: 1964-1970".Boeing. Archived fromthe originalon 2011-05-24.
- ^"The Boeing Logbook: 1971-1976".Boeing. Archived fromthe originalon 2008-12-30.
- ^"The Boeing Logbook: 1977-1982".Boeing. Archived fromthe originalon 2012-03-06.
- ^Richardson, Doug and Lindsay Peacock.Combat Aircraft AH-64,pp. 14–15. London: Salamander Books, 1992.ISBN0-86101-675-0.
- ^The Boeing Logbook: 1997-2001Archived2013-01-02 at theWayback Machine
- ^Frawley, Gerard:The International Directory of Civil Aircraft, 2003-2004,p. 155. Aerospace Publications Pty Ltd, 2003.ISBN1-875671-58-7
- ^Boeing Announces Sale of its Light Helicopter Product LinesArchived2007-12-28 at theWayback Machine,Boeing, 1999-02-19.
- ^"Boeing: Boeing Announces Sale of its Light Helicopter Product Lines".Archived fromthe originalon 2008-02-13.Retrieved2008-02-07..Boeing News Release
- ^"OH-6 Cayuse/Hughes 500 Helicopter".Boeing. Archived fromthe originalon 2006-11-28.
- ^"Interesting News from MD Helicopters".Archived fromthe originalon 2019-07-09.
- ^"Company Background Information".MD Helicopters. Archived fromthe originalon December 29, 2010.Retrieved2007-02-25.
- ^Tilton Out at MD Helicopters
- ^Dominic Perry (30 March 2022)."Buyer for MD Helicopters emerges as airframer enters Chapter 11 restructuring".FlightGlobal.
- ^abc"New MD Helicopters Owners Plan Aggressive Ramp Up In Production | Aviation Week Network".aviationweek.Retrieved2024-02-28.
- ^"Merger or no, Boeing and McDonnell Douglas linked".2012-10-24. Archived fromthe originalon 2012-10-24.Retrieved2024-02-28.