MESA, Ariz., September, 2026. MD Helicopters, LLC (MDH) announced that a customer-conducted pull test of a Super D20R produced 1,580 pounds of lift, compared with 1,290 pounds from an MD 530FF tested under the same conditions: a +290-pound, or +22.5 percent, advantage in useful lift.
The operator tested both aircraft on the same day with the same pilot and the same 150-pound fuel load, at 4,000 feet pressure altitude and 35°C (95°F). Each aircraft was tethered to a load cell, and the readings reflect the load each aircraft lifted with that fuel and pilot aboard.
The Super D20R is part of the MDH Fielded Fleet Upgrade program for the MD 500D. It combines the Super D rotor system enhancements, including extended main and tail rotor blades, a tail rotor gearbox extension, a modified tailboom with updated empennage, and F-model vertical and horizontal stabilizers, with the Rolls-Royce 250-C20R engine. The Federal Aviation Administration granted Supplemental Type Certificate approval for the Super D20R in April 2026. Similar performance increases are expected from the Super E upgrade kits, which are currently pending FAA certification.
Hot, high conditions reduce the lift available to any helicopter. The test conditions, 4,000 feet pressure altitude at 35°C, are typical of the summer density altitudes in which utility operators routinely work, and they are the conditions in which the Super D20R is designed to deliver its greatest advantage.
The Super D20R is available now through the MDH global network of Authorized Service Centers and Parts Retailers. Incentives are currently available for Super D and Super E kit deliveries in 2026 and 2027. Operators can learn more at mdhelicopters.com/fielded-fleet-upgrades or by contacting upgrades@mdhelicopters.com.
With more than 1,000 MD 500-series aircraft operating worldwide, the Fielded Fleet Upgrade program gives operators a path to add capability to the aircraft they already own rather than replace them.
The pull test was conducted by the customer, not by MD Helicopters. Results reflect the specific aircraft and conditions tested.
About MD Helicopters
MD Helicopters, LLC (MDH) manufactures high-performance rotorcraft solutions that support operators flying military, commercial, law enforcement, utility, and VIP mission profiles. With thousands of aircraft in service worldwide, MDH has been designing and building aircraft known for their safety, versatility, responsiveness, speed, and reliability since 1947. Our commitment to product sustainment and customer success allows MDH to deliver aircraft unmatched in their performance and reliability. MD Helicopters, LLC is owned by an investment consortium comprised of MBIA Insurance, Bardin Hill Investment Partners LP, and MB Global Partners.
SUPER X Upgrade Inquiries
upgrades@mdhelicopters.com
A customer put a Super D20R and an MD 530FF on the same load cell on the same hot day. Here is what the gauge said. Two aircraft. One load cell. One hot day at 4,000 feet. An MD 500-series operator recently ran a Super D20R and an MD 530FF through the same pull test. Same pilot. Same 150 pounds of fuel. Same conditions: 4,000 feet pressure altitude and 35°C, which is 95°F. The MD 530FF lifted 1,290 pounds. The Super D20R lifted 1,580. That is 290 pounds more useful lift, a 22.5 percent advantage, on the kind of day when density altitude is doing everything it can to take lift away. A pull test is about as honest as helicopter performance measurement gets. The aircraft is tethered to a load cell anchored to the ground. The pilot pulls in power, and the cell reads how much the aircraft is lifting beyond its own weight, its fuel, and the people on board. No charts, no calculations. A number on a gauge, with the aircraft in the hover. The Super D20R is an MD 500D with the full Super D rotor system package and the Rolls-Royce 250-C20R engine. Extended main and tail rotor blades put more disc area to work. A tail rotor gearbox extension, a modified tailboom, and F-model vertical and horizontal stabilizers keep the aircraft stable and controllable while they do. And the 250-C20R brings more power and significantly better hot-and-high performance than the 250-C20B it replaces. The Super D20R is also a lighter aircraft than the 530FF. That matters in a pull test, and it matters just as much on a job: weight the aircraft doesn’t carry is weight the hook can. 290 pounds is another crew member with gear. It is about 43 gallons of fuel. It is a heavier load on the hook, or the same load on a hotter day, or one trip instead of two. On a hot afternoon at altitude, it can be the difference between taking the job and turning it down. The Super D20R received FAA Supplemental Type Certificate approval in April 2026 and is available through MD’s Authorized Service Centers and Parts Retailers. Similar performance increases are expected from the Super E upgrade kits, which are currently pending FAA certification. Incentives are currently available for Super D and Super E kit deliveries in 2026 and 2027. Want more useful lift from the aircraft you already own? Contact an MD Field Service Rep, your Authorized Service Center or Parts Retailer, or upgrades@mdhelicopters.com. Details on every Super D and Super E kit are at mdhelicopters.com/fielded-fleet-upgrades. Your aircraft isn’t finished evolving. Committed to performance. Customer-conducted test. Results reflect the specific aircraft and conditions tested.+290 Pounds of Lift. That’s the Difference.
How a pull test works
Because both aircraft were tested by the same operator on the same day with the same pilot and fuel load, the comparison is about as clean as a field test can be.
Why the Super D20R pulls more
What 290 pounds means on the job
Available now, with incentives on 2026 and 2027 deliveries
