Start here
A few places to begin, from the aircraft’s story to the people who fly it.
Meet the aircraft
Hughes developed the compact, single-turbine OH-6 for the US Army's Light Observation Helicopter programme. Its reconnaissance and utility roles were followed by the civilian Hughes 500 lineage.
Aircraft background
Wikipedia contributors · Read more ↗Returning to a favourite after more than twenty years
A television helicopter had helped inspire Huling’s interest, but his factory visit also showed the people building the aircraft by hand. Four new helicopters were on the production line during a period when the company was trying to rebuild customer support and confidence. Flying one afterward gave him a more personal reason to enjoy the visit. His initial hover needed a few corrections before the feel returned.
AOPA · May 2023. Factory visit and supervised MD500E flight in N40125 with Dennis Banks, after Huling’s last flight on type in November 2000.
AOPA · Read more ↗The two supplied aircraft have different pilot positions
Taog’s manual places the command seat on the right in the military OH-6A and on the left in the civilian H500C. It describes the four-bladed rotor and differing engine installations. These are earlier family configurations than the later MD500E described in several pilot accounts.
OH-6A / H500C · Taog's Hangar · MSFS 2024
Taog's Hangar · Read more ↗Into the cockpit
YouTube Ed Whisenant Aviation · 7 min ·
Hughes 500 Start-Up, Takeoff & Landing Back on Helipad - Helicopter (369D) N36KR
A Hughes 369D starts, departs and returns to its helipad.
Real aircraft · Hughes OH-6 / 500
Watch on YouTube ↗Preview images are served by AirframeDB. Videos open on YouTube only when you choose to watch.
Meet Hughes OH-6 / 500
Hughes developed the compact, single-turbine OH-6 for the US Army's Light Observation Helicopter programme. Its reconnaissance and utility roles were followed by the civilian Hughes 500 lineage.
Engines, rotors and equipment changed across the OH-6 and 500 family. Taog's simulator package offers skid and float configurations and documents electric cyclic trim; it does not describe that trim as a full automatic flight-control system.
Hughes OH-6 / 500
Aircraft type designators
Use the code for the model you are flying. The linked authority lists the applicable aircraft.
History & design
The factory is part of the aircraft’s continuing story
Huling’s 2023 visit describes hand-built fuselages and tail booms alongside a leadership team working to restore customer support after a change of ownership. His report captures a particular period in the production history of the civilian MD500 family.
AOPA · The Ferrari of helicopters ↗Dated factory report; subsequent corporate status not inferred
Development milestones
First flight: February 27, 1963
Wikipedia contributors · Hughes OH-6 Cayuse ↗Hughes OH-6 Cayuse · family/variant named by the source · Wikipedia revision 1362659956
Pilot accounts
Returning to a favourite after more than twenty years
A television helicopter had helped inspire Huling’s interest, but his factory visit also showed the people building the aircraft by hand. Four new helicopters were on the production line during a period when the company was trying to rebuild customer support and confidence. Flying one afterward gave him a more personal reason to enjoy the visit.
His initial hover needed a few corrections before the feel returned. Banks then guided him into the desert for an off-airport landing, including a reminder to shed the habits of fixed-wing approaches. Huling appreciated the visibility through the newer, narrower instrument panel and later joined a separate photo flight.
AOPA · May 2023. Factory visit and supervised MD500E flight in N40125 with Dennis Banks, after Huling’s last flight on type in November 2000.
Read the full account · AOPA ↗A factory visit renews an instructor’s attachment to the type
Andrykowsky made a long drive to Arizona for time with Dennis Banks, whose familiarity with the aircraft impressed him as much as the flying. Practising autorotations in the desert was far removed from the author’s ordinary day, and he openly admitted a strong affection for the MD500 before offering his assessment.
That attachment had begun with a conversion course among law-enforcement pilots in California. He remembered being the only participant without a sidearm, a small detail that captured the unusual company in which he was learning. In describing later flying, he valued direct control response and the sense of being closely connected to the aircraft. He also acknowledged its cramped, noisy cabin. The account supplies an instructor’s enthusiastic experience, while its broader technical comparisons remain separate from verified specifications.
SA Flyer · archived 2017 article. Arizona visit with MD factory test pilot Dennis Banks; the author also recalls earlier MD500D conversion training in California.
Read the full account · SA Flyer ↗A flight-test student finds a demanding subject
Sparkes first encountered the MD500 as a test-pilot student expected to produce a detailed report after only an hour of flying. Kenyon’s knowledge allowed him to explore a broad range of handling within the school’s programme. The small airframe and generous cockpit view made an immediate impression, followed by controls more responsive than he had expected.
Hovering required close attention, and the aircraft continued to challenge his coordination in forward flight. Some changes in attitude and rotor behaviour caught him by surprise, giving him plenty to analyse afterward. Returning for low-speed work remained enjoyable despite the effort. The helicopter later reappeared during his time commanding the school.
Personal recollection · February 2022. MD500E experience through the Empire Test Pilots’ School, initially with Dennis Kenyon; flight date and registration are not stated.
Read the full account · Simon Sparkes ↗In your simulator
Systems, equipment and documentation for each developer’s aircraft.
Compare simulator versions →MSFS 2024OH-6A / H500C
Taog's Hangar · Released
OH-6A / H500C
Taog's Hangar · Released
MSFS 2020 · MSFS 2024Hughes OH-6 / 500
CowanSim · Released
Hughes OH-6 / 500
CowanSim · Released
X-Plane 11 · X-Plane 12Hughes OH-6 / 500
CowanSim · Released
Hughes OH-6 / 500
CowanSim · Released
Aircraft specifications
Published figures for the named real-aircraft variant. Simulator equipment and performance can differ.
| Specification | Published value |
|---|---|
| Length | 30 ft 3.75 in (9.2393 m) including rotors |
| Height | 8 ft 1.5 in (2.477 m) to top of rotor hub |
| Empty weight | 1,229 lb (557 kg) |
| Gross weight | 2,400 lb (1,089 kg) |
| Max takeoff weight | 2,700 lb (1,225 kg) |
| Powerplant | 1 × Allison T63-A-5A turboshaft engine, 317 shp (236 kW) de-rated to:- |
| Main rotor diameter | 26 ft 4 in (8.03 m) |
| Main rotor area | 544.63 sq ft (50.598 m² ) |
| Cruise speed | 130 kn (150 mph, 240 km/h) maximum at sea level |
| Range | 330 nmi (380 mi, 610 km) at 5,000 ft (1,524 m) |
| Service ceiling | 15,800 ft (4,800 m) |
| Rate of climb | 2,067 ft/min (10.50 m/s) |
Manuals & resources
Find your next read
Choose a topic for a short introduction and a link to the original source. Simulator references identify the developer and edition they cover.
Simulator documentation
The two supplied aircraft have different pilot positionsOH-6A / H500C · Taog's Hangar · MSFS 2024
Taog’s manual places the command seat on the right in the military OH-6A and on the left in the civilian H500C. It describes the four-bladed rotor and differing engine installations. These are earlier family configurations than the later MD500E described in several pilot accounts.
Taog OH-6A/H500C manual v1.1 · PDF pp.7–10
Taog's Hangar · Read the source ↗Light controls and working configurationsOH-6A / H500C · Taog's Hangar · MSFS 2024
The OH-6A and H500C are separately selectable aircraft in Taog's package, with different skid and float choices. The manual describes electric actuators for cyclic trim and controls without hydraulic boost. Mission attachments add their documented weights at specified loading stations.
MSFS2024; flight manual 1.1 · PDF pp.9-10,22
Taog's Hangar · Read the source ↗Cowan documents separate collective and throttle controlsHughes OH-6 / 500 · CowanSim · MSFS 2020 · MSFS 2024
The MSFS manual requires separate collective and twist-throttle axes, naming COLLECTIVE AXIS and SET HELICOPTER THROTTLE AXIS. It distinguishes the collective’s engine-RPM beep switch from the cyclic trim controls. The starter is a toggle that must be cycled off before another start.
Cowan MSFS 500E manual · PDF pp.1–5,9
CowanSim · Read the source ↗Starting and cockpit equipment can be configuredHughes OH-6 / 500 · CowanSim · X-Plane 11 · X-Plane 12
The X-Plane 12 guide offers automatic starter-button holding and a complete automated start. AviTab supplies maps and PDF viewing when installed, while an installed Reality XP GTN750 can replace the standard GPS units through the configuration menu.
Cowan 500E X-Plane 12 manual · PDF pp.1–7
CowanSim · Read the source ↗The VR seating position can be savedHughes OH-6 / 500 · CowanSim · X-Plane 11 · X-Plane 12
Clipboard arrows adjust the pilot’s view in six directions. Save Position writes the chosen position to the aircraft’s VR configuration, and the guide requires an aircraft reload to apply it. Cyclic trim uses the ordinary X-Plane 12 trim commands.
Cowan 500E X-Plane 12 manual · PDF p.9
CowanSim · Read the source ↗Pilot account
Returning to a favourite after more than twenty yearsAOPA · May 2023. Factory visit and supervised MD500E flight in N40125 with Dennis Banks, after Huling’s last flight on type in November 2000.
A television helicopter had helped inspire Huling’s interest, but his factory visit also showed the people building the aircraft by hand. Four new helicopters were on the production line during a period when the company was trying to rebuild customer support and confidence. Flying one afterward gave him a more personal reason to enjoy the visit. His initial hover needed a few corrections before the feel returned.
Murray Huling
AOPA · Read the source ↗A factory visit renews an instructor’s attachment to the typeSA Flyer · archived 2017 article. Arizona visit with MD factory test pilot Dennis Banks; the author also recalls earlier MD500D conversion training in California.
Andrykowsky made a long drive to Arizona for time with Dennis Banks, whose familiarity with the aircraft impressed him as much as the flying. Practising autorotations in the desert was far removed from the author’s ordinary day, and he openly admitted a strong affection for the MD500 before offering his assessment. That attachment had begun with a conversion course among law-enforcement pilots in California.
Christoph Andrykowsky
SA Flyer · Read the source ↗Read the original documentation from the people who created it. Manuals open on their publisher’s website.
Manual
Download manualTaog's Hangar Microsoft Flight Simulator aircraft manualsMicrosoft / aircraft developers Taog aircraft manualsTaog's HangarAircraft background
Hughes OH-6 CayuseWikipedia contributors · Research background · Wikipedia revision 1362659956 · retrieved 2026-09-12Product
500E for MSFSCowanSim · Official developer / designated store catalogue · checked 2026-09-12 500E for X-PlaneCowanSim · Official developer / designated store catalogue · checked 2026-09-12 OH-6A / H500CTaog’s Hangar · Official developer / designated store catalogue · checked 2026-09-12Type designator
ICAO Doc 8643 — aircraft type designatorsInternational Civil Aviation Organization · Public search data retrieved 2026-09-14; authority update 2026-09-03Developer documentation
User ManualCowanSim · Gathered developer documentation User ManualCowanSim · Gathered developer documentationBuilt-in force-feedback profiles
Read the documentary basis, editable starting settings and remaining questions for the aircraft you fly. Each explanation refers to the exact profile revision shown.
Catalogue programme-20261022-v1 · 9 profile choices
CowanSim 500E
CowanSim · Free and Pro · Revision 4 · Inherited starting point
MSFS 2020 · MSFS 2024
CowanSim 500E: The selected cyclic resistance accompanies the exact rotor/control configuration.
CowanSim 500E
CowanSim · Free and Pro · Revision 2 · Inherited starting point
X-Plane 12
CowanSim 500E: The selected cyclic resistance accompanies the exact rotor/control configuration.
Taog's Hangar OH-6A
Taog's Hangar · Free and Pro · Revision 3 · Inherited starting point
MSFS 2024
Taog's Hangar OH-6A: The selected cyclic resistance accompanies the exact rotor/control configuration.
Taog's Hangar H500C
Taog's Hangar · Free and Pro · Revision 2 · Inherited starting point
MSFS 2024
Taog's Hangar H500C: The selected cyclic resistance accompanies the exact rotor/control configuration.
Hughes OH-6A
Free and Pro · Revision 2 · Partial review
MSFS 2020 · MSFS 2024 · X-Plane 11 · X-Plane 12
Hughes OH-6A: The selected cyclic resistance accompanies the exact rotor/control configuration.
Hughes 500C
Free and Pro · Revision 1 · Partial review
MSFS 2020 · MSFS 2024 · X-Plane 11 · X-Plane 12
Hughes 500C: The selected cyclic resistance accompanies the exact rotor/control configuration.
MD 500E
Free and Pro · Revision 1 · Review pending
MSFS 2020 · MSFS 2024 · X-Plane 11 · X-Plane 12
MD 500E: The selected cyclic resistance accompanies the exact rotor/control configuration.
Shrike / Blackbird MD530F
Shrike / Blackbird · Free and Pro · Revision 1 · Inherited starting point
MSFS 2020 · MSFS 2024
A small observation-helicopter family with a rounded cabin and compact rotor system.
MD Helicopters MD530F Civil Utility
Free and Pro · Revision 1 · Partial review
MSFS 2020 · MSFS 2024 · X-Plane 12
A small observation-helicopter family with a rounded cabin and compact rotor system.
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