Start here
A few places to begin, from the aircraft’s story to the people who fly it.
Meet the aircraft
Dennis Fetters developed the single-seat Mini-500 as a homebuilt helicopter in the 1990s. The design has a compact cabin and light rotor system.
Aircraft background
VSKYLABS · Read more ↗Engine and rotor management
The simulation includes manual engine and rotor-speed management and low rotor inertia. The developer describes using recordings of Mini-500 engine and rotor sounds.
Mini-500 · VSKYLABS · X-Plane 11 · X-Plane 12
VSKYLABS · Read more ↗Into the cockpit
YouTube Dennis Fetters · 17 min ·
The Latest Revolution Mini-500 Helicopter Demo Video (Full Length)
The Mini-500's designer presents the Bravo kit helicopter in an original company demonstration.
Real aircraft · Revolution Mini-500
Watch on YouTube ↗Preview images are served by AirframeDB. Videos open on YouTube only when you choose to watch.
Meet Revolution Mini-500
Dennis Fetters developed the single-seat Mini-500 as a homebuilt helicopter in the 1990s. The design has a compact cabin and light rotor system.
VSKYLABS models low rotor inertia and manual engine and rotor-speed management. The developer describes research with helicopter pilots and sound recorded from the aircraft as part of its development work.
Revolution Mini-500
Aircraft type designators
A model-specific ICAO or FAA designator has not been confirmed in the references reviewed for this aircraft.
History & design
A kit helicopter from the 1990s
Dennis Fetters designed the single-seat Revolution Mini-500 as a kit helicopter. VSKYLABS identifies the 1990s design as the subject of its project and credits information from the designer, while keeping the simulation independent of Fetters Aerospace.
VSKYLABS · VSKYLABS Aerospace Simulations Aircraft Center: VSKYLABS 'Test-Pilot': Mini-500 ↗VSKYLABS Mini-500, X-Plane 12 handbook rev.005
The X-Plane development
VSKYLABS dates its Mini-500 work to 2019. The project concentrates on the light helicopter’s rotor behavior, including low rotor inertia, autorotation and the relationship between collective demand and RPM. These are the developer’s modelling aims, not independent physical qualification of this Bridge profile.
VSKYLABS · VSKYLABS Aerospace Simulations Aircraft Center: VSKYLABS 'Test-Pilot': Mini-500 ↗VSKYLABS Mini-500, X-Plane 12 handbook rev.005
Systems & details
Manual throttle or an optional governor
The handbook allows manual management of engine and rotor RPM. It also provides a simulator governor that maintains nominal rotor speed once throttle is above roughly 70–80 percent, supporting hardware without separate helicopter controls. This is an option in the VSKYLABS model; it must not be assumed to describe every Mini-500 installation or the separate MSFS add-on.
In your simulator
Systems, equipment and documentation for each developer’s aircraft.
Compare simulator versions →X-Plane 11 · X-Plane 12Mini-500
VSKYLABS · Released
Mini-500
VSKYLABS · Released
MSFS 2020 · MSFS 2024Mini-500
Got Friends · Released
Mini-500
Got Friends · Released
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
Engine and rotor managementMini-500 · VSKYLABS · X-Plane 11 · X-Plane 12
The simulation includes manual engine and rotor-speed management and low rotor inertia. The developer describes using recordings of Mini-500 engine and rotor sounds.
Official developer / designated-store reference · checked 2026-09-14
VSKYLABS · Read the source ↗Developer documentation
Mini-500 — product listingMini-500 · MSFS 2020 · MSFS 2024
Product listing captured 2026-09-30; edition scope from the reviewed catalogue
Got Friends · Read the source ↗Read the original documentation from the people who created it. Manuals open on their publisher’s website.
Developer documentation
VSKYLABS Aerospace Simulations Aircraft Center: VSKYLABS 'Test-Pilot': Mini-500VSKYLABS · Official developer / designated-store reference · checked 2026-09-14 VSKYLABS Revolution Mini-500 add-on for X-Plane Flight Simulator.VSKYLABS · Official developer / designated-store reference · checked 2026-09-14 mini500 Pilot Operating HandbookVSKYLABS · X-Plane 12 simulation handbook rev.005, issued March 2023; specification and optional governorProduct
Mini-500 – Got FriendsGot Friends · Product listing captured 2026-09-30; edition scope from the reviewed catalogueBuilt-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 · 3 profile choices
Got Friends Mini-500 Turbine
Got Friends · Free and Pro · Revision 4 · Inherited starting point
MSFS 2020 · MSFS 2024
Got Friends Mini-500 Turbine: Unboosted cyclic linkage motivates light supported centering.
VSKYLABS Revolution Mini-500
VSKYLABS · Free and Pro · Revision 2 · Inherited starting point
X-Plane 12
VSKYLABS Revolution Mini-500: Unboosted cyclic linkage motivates light supported centering.
Revolution Mini-500
Free and Pro · Revision 1 · Partial review
X-Plane 12 · X-Plane 11
Revolution Mini-500: Unboosted cyclic linkage motivates light supported centering.
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