Press Release

Issued by MD Helicopters.

February 21, 2010

This month, MD Helicopters, Inc (MDHI) delivered its 600 MD 500E ® to Eastern Atlantic Helicopters, LTD in West Sussex, UK.

The MD 500E traces its roots to 1960, when the US Department of Defense issued Technical Specification 153 for a Light Observation Helicopter (LOH) to fulfill various roles: personnel transport, escort and attack missions, casualty evacuation and observation.

The Hughes 369, later designated the OH-6A "Cayuse" won the bidding and the first prototype took flight on February 27, 1963 and was later delivered to Fort Rucker air base to begin Army trials the following November. In total, 1434 OH-6As were built; the last one was delivered in August of 1970.

The OH-6A spun off several variants including the Model 500, the 500C, H-500MC, 500M, 500D, 500MD, 369HM, and NH500M, among others.