MD Helicopters has introduced the MD 564, a new light-single-engine helicopter derived from the long-running MD 500 series and aimed at operators that need more lift, endurance and hot-and-high capability without moving into a larger aircraft class.
The company said the MD 564 combines a six-blade main rotor, a four-blade tail rotor, and a Rolls-Royce 250-C47E/3 engine with dual-channel FADEC. MD is positioning the helicopter as a higher-performance evolution of the 500-series platform rather than an all-new design.
Based on specifications released by the company, the MD 564 is designed to deliver a 650-pound increase in internal payload and a 750-pound increase in external payload over legacy 500-series aircraft. MD also said the helicopter will offer four-hour endurance with more than 400 nautical miles of range.
The company said the MD 564 will have hover-out-of-ground-effect capability at maximum takeoff weight up to 14,500 feet, a figure that underscores the model’s intended role in demanding utility missions. MD is pitching the aircraft as a platform that can deliver stronger mission performance while preserving the operating economics associated with a light single.
MD also said the helicopter will feature a Garmin G500TXi avionics suite with IFR capability. That combination suggests the company wants to broaden the aircraft’s appeal beyond traditional utility operators and into missions where avionics capability and operational flexibility are important.
In its launch announcement, MD described the MD 564 as offering operating costs that could run 30% to 40% lower than those of competing aircraft, though it did not release a full side-by-side cost breakdown alongside the initial announcement.