MD520N NOTAR in action

Описание: Rare MD520N NOTAR helicopter in action during short local flight in Savannah, Georgia. Exclusive footage from our 2025 USA helicopter tour featuring Chatham County Mosquito Control’s MD500 fleet.

As many of you already know from this channel, I am a huge fan of the MD500 family in all its variants, and I try to track down the type anywhere in the world. Our 2025 USA tour had one clear objective: to find and film a truly endangered species — the MD520N.

Months before the trip, I began reaching out to the operators we hoped to visit. Friendships were built through email and social media, but even that didn’t prepare us for how incredibly welcoming everyone would be in person.

For the first time in our lives, we visited the state of Georgia — more specifically Savannah — with one goal in mind: to capture the helicopters of Chatham County Mosquito Control in action. Their fleet includes two MD500E aircraft and two rare MD520N helicopters. Although the week wasn’t extremely busy for them, they still had several local flights scheduled, and they kindly invited us to observe and film their operations.

For more than 15 years, I had dreamed of seeing and filming an MD520N up close. So when it suddenly stood right in front of me and the turbine began to spool up, it was a surreal moment.

The MD520N is one of the most fascinating variants of the MD500 series. Instead of a conventional tail rotor, it features the innovative NOTAR (NO TAil Rotor) system. This design uses the Coandă effect, directing low-pressure air through slots along the tail boom to create anti-torque control. The result is a quieter, safer helicopter with reduced tail rotor vulnerability — particularly useful in low-altitude operations over urban or obstacle-rich environments. Powered by a single Rolls-Royce (Allison) 250 series turboshaft engine, the MD520N maintains the agility and responsiveness that made the MD500 family legendary, while introducing a completely different tail control concept.

The MD520N was developed in the late 1980s as part of McDonnell Douglas Helicopters’ effort to innovate beyond conventional rotorcraft design. It quickly found roles in law enforcement, aerial observation, and specialized utility missions. While production numbers were relatively limited compared to standard MD500 variants, the NOTAR system gave it a unique place in helicopter history. Today, operational MD520Ns are becoming increasingly rare, which makes every encounter with one even more special.

Georgia’s coastal region is a beautiful, warm, and calm environment — with marshlands, rivers, and humid air creating the perfect habitat not only for people, but also for mosquitoes. Because of this, active mosquito control is essential for public health and quality of life. This is where Chatham County Mosquito Control plays a critical role. Their aerial spraying operations help manage mosquito populations across the coastal region, protecting communities and supporting environmental balance. Watching their MD520N operate over the Georgia landscape was not only an aviation highlight, but also a reminder of how versatile and important these helicopters remain.