MD Helicopters has announced the completion of the first MD500E to MD530F conversion to be carried out by one of its Authorised Service Centres, Thoroughbred Aviation, in Lexington, Kentucky. The E to F conversion programme essentially takes an existing aircraft back to zero time and is delivered to the customer as a “new” 530F with a new serial number and logs, all for a considerable saving on an all-new aircraft. The project was completed for The Cleveland Police Department, which has a second aircraft undergoing conversion with Thoroughbred Aviation. Until now, all conversions have required the aircraft to be returned to the MD factory in Mesa, Arizona.
The upgrade includes the replacement of the Rolls Royce 250-C20B/R with a Rolls Royce 250-C30, longer main rotor and tail rotor blades, longer tail rotor driveshaft, a tail rotor gearbox extension, a tail boom modification, new vertical and horizontal stabilisers, and avionics upgrades. The net result is a 12% increase in MGW internal load, +200 lbs. or a 6% increase in MGW external load, +198 lbs. or a 12% increase of internal useful load, and a +5,500 ft. or 92% increase in HOGE and a significant hot and high-performance improvement.
Commenting on the delivery, MD Helicopters President Ryan Weeks said, “This achievement underscores our dedication to enhancing performance and accessibility through our MD Network. Thoroughbred Aviation, a premier Authorised Service Centre, is playing a pivotal role in this effort, and we are excited to expand the availability of E-to-F upgrades. Demand for such upgrades is strong, and several more performance upgrades will be certified and released throughout 2025 for the MD 500D, MD 500E, and MD 520N.”
Photo MD Helicopters/Thoroughbred
