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The Hughes 500N (ICAO type MD52) is an aircraft certificated in the Normal Category Helicopter category. It has a maximum take-off weight of 1,520 kg. It offers seating for up to 4 across its variants.

Hughes 500N

Model overview

Fleet & certification

Built
52
Active
51
Certifying authorities
FAA
Market

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Marketplace

1 for sale right now

Variants

Per-variant specifications

VariantEngineMTOWRangeCruisePax
500N
500N
—1,519–1,520 kg———
Type certification

The FAA paperwork

TCDS H3WE · Rev 26 · issued 2013-11-06

Category
Normal Category Helicopter
MTOW
1,521 kg
Seats
1 crew · 4 passengers
Fuel
1,716 L
Ceiling
20,000 ft
Approved fuelMIL-DTL-5624JP-4JP-5MIL-DTL-83133JP-8ASTM D-1655 Jet AA-1Jet BASTM D-6615 Jet BChinese Specification GB6537-94 Grade RP-3
Engine

Rolls-Royce Corporation (formerly Allison Engine Company) 250-C20R/2

Certification basis

CAR 6 dated December 20, 1956, including Amendments 6-1 through 6-4 and Special Conditions, "Conditions Establishing Compensating Factors Providing an Equivalent Level of Safety Un…

Safety & ops history

Where to look next

Detailed safety & ops history coming soon — view this model's FAA Airworthiness Directives at FAA.gov.

Hughes 500N market & fleet intelligence

Registry, flight-tracking and market data on the Hughes 500N fleet — updated daily.

Fleet age

32 yearsmedian age

Of the 40 registered Hughes 500N with a known build year (77% of the 52 we track), the median age is 32 years.

Registration activity

3changed registration in 12 months

3 of the 52 registered Hughes 500N we track changed registration in the last 12 months (6% of the fleet), across 3 registration events. Registration changes include ownership transfers, re-registrations and address updates — not all are sales.

Fleet activity — last 90 days
Aircraft seen flying
4
Tracked flights
15
Tracked flight hours
16
Share of fleet flying
8%

4 Hughes 500N were tracked flying in the last 90 days (8% of the registered fleet), across 15 flights. Sprinkle flight tracking began May 2026; coverage is ADS-B-derived and not exhaustive.

For sale now

1Hughes 500N listed for sale

Browse Hughes 500N for sale →
500N — frequently asked
How many people can the Hughes 500N carry?

The Hughes 500N seats up to 4 across its variants.

What is the MTOW of the Hughes 500N?

The Hughes 500N's maximum take-off weight is 1,520 kg.

What is the ICAO type designator for the Hughes 500N?

The Hughes 500N's ICAO type designator is MD52.

How many Hughes 500N aircraft are registered worldwide?

Sprinkle tracks 52 registered Hughes 500N airframes worldwide.