Boeing Beats its Drum

Over '98 Improvements Boeing couldn't depart the light helicopter market without blowing its own horn. The reluctant, and now ex-owner of McDonnell Douglas' commercial rotorcraft, noted that in the last year, while it was shopping the division around the world, it:

• Delivered 36 light single- and twin-turbine helicopters in 1998 (including 21 eight-place MD 600Ns, four MD 902s, and four preowned singles)four more than in 1997;

• Extended to 33 the list of countries in which the MD 520N is certificated, and to 30 for the Explorer family;

• Delivered eight MD600s to the U.S. Border Patrol;

• Reduced direct operating costs of the MD 600N by $34.96 an hour, the MD 500E by $2.26 an hour, the MD 520N by $5.80 an hour, and the MD 530F by $1.65 an hour;

• Obtained a contract with the U.S. Coast Guard for "proof of concept" using armed, ship-based MD Explorers for offshore interdiction; and

• Reduced the direct operating cost of the MD Explorer by $39.53 an hour to $360 an hour.

Boeing and its predecessor companies have delivered nearly 5,000 light helicopters since the early 1960s. Since 1991, when the revolutionary NOTAR system was introduced, MD 520N, MD 600N and MD Explorer helicopters have flown more than 150,000 hours with no accidents attributed to the anti-torque system.