Mini 500 Airworthiness Directives

[dreyber]

Hi @ all,
I am just planing to buy a Revolution Helicopter Mini 500 in Germany. At this time there are two Mini 500 available and I would like to vist the offered Mini 500 to check the technical condition and negotiate the price.
Is somebody there who has a complete package of RHCI's instructions and Airworthiness Directives (AD's) for the Mini 500? I would like to be very good prepared for the check and need some additional information.
Here also the link to the both Mini 500, sorry the websites are in German, but shall be not a problem:

https://www.ebay-kleinanzeigen.de/s-anzeige/helikopter-ultraleichthelikopter-mini-500-ultraleichtflugzeug-/1386894998-242-2351

Flugzeugmarkt.de - Mehr Flugzeug. Mehr Fliegen.

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www.flugzeugmarkt.de

Thx
Bernd Dreyer
52.630848, 10.233077
Germany

 

[hillberg]

Dig around the web Dennis Fetters will answer all your questions . . . Where ever he might be.

 

[Strike]

бхорошая машина наверняка с несколькими часами, так что она будет новой, так что проверять будет очень мало !!

 

[Resasi]

Dig around the web Dennis Fetters will answer all your questions . . . Where ever he might be.

Haven’t seen Dennis posting at all recently.

Last I heard/knew he had gone to China, married a local had a kid and seems to have settled there developing his drone helicopter.

 

[JEFF TIPTON]

According to his bio

Employment and Business History:

Tenneco Corporation (USA & Mexico)

• Employed from October 2018 to Present
• Senior Advanced Manufacturing Engineer
• Responsible for installation on new factory in Mexico

Unmanned Solutions Technology, LLc. (USA)

• Employed from May 2018 to Present
• Director of Engineering / VTOL UAV Designs

The DESIGNER

Designer of over 10 Different Rotorcraft and Manufactured Over 1700 Aircraft; Mr. Dennis L. Fetters

fettersaerospace.com

 

[MilesW]

Hi @ all,
I am just planing to buy a Revolution Helicopter Mini 500 in Germany. At this time there are two Mini 500 available and I would like to vist the offered Mini 500 to check the technical condition and negotiate the price.
Is somebody there who has a complete package of RHCI's instructions and Airworthiness Directives (AD's) for the Mini 500? I would like to be very good prepared for the check and need some additional information.

Thx
Bernd Dreyer
52.630848, 10.233077
Germany

Bryan Cobb is your man.

 

[PW_Plack]

Is somebody there who has a complete package of RHCI's instructions and Airworthiness Directives (AD's) for the Mini 500?

Were the Mini 500's certified in Germany? In the US, they were Experimental Amateur-Built, which means there's no such thing as an Airworthiness Directive. I think the best you'll be able to do is find service bulletins from the kitmaker.

 

[Steve_UK]

Hi Bernd,

There appears to have been very few Mini 500s registered in Germany - I can only find reference to two - D-HSMS since written off and D-HUBU.

The weblink below has some info on Germany Mini 500s - you may have already seen this. Photos show two of them after accidents

Homepage von Otto Fröhlich

Sure you want to buy one?

 

[Steve_UK]

The example in your advert claims to have just 1 flight hour since being built in 1997. One hour in the air in 23 years.

Not a regular flyer.

Does it have a current German registration - is it currently airworthy.

Does it make sense - could it be a money pit.

Good luck with your due diligence.

 

[dreyber]

Hi,
I grow up in Germany with the TV movie "Tom Sellek as Magnum" and the Hughes 500D of his friend. So I am infected since years in the Hughes 500D and the Mini-500 ist the cheappest way to live the dream. My son serves in the Germany Army @ the helicopter airforce in Munich. So we both like helicopters, specific the Mini-500. my son more the newer helicopters.

People are like electric current and seek the path of least resistance. So ask in the forum instead of digging in the forum yourself or asking Mr Google.
Yes, I also found Bryan as a source, Dennis too of course, but I'm sometimes a bit reserved.

Both Mini-500 (D-HSMS & D-HUBU) are retired, D-HUBU S/N #340 hangs under the ceiling in the "Deutsches Museum" in Munich. The remaining one of D-HSMS S/N #216 is not known to me but Mr Otto Fröhlich crashed (engine stopped) him. One with S/N #100 was also registered in Germany, may this was the first one of Otto Fröhlich.

A German registration with D-H is extremely expensive and time-consuming. In the past it was quite easy to do, today it is almost impossible to register. So there is only one US-American registration N-... to get the Mini-500 airborne in Germany. Maybe a registration in Eastern Europe is also possible, e.g. Hungary or Poland.

Now to the "Service Instruction's" and the "AD's". I have now found some as copy / photo. I will put them all into a table and post them here to get feedback if there are still some missing.

Both helicopter offers are very old, not as old as me or my children, but not new. Both are said to have flown only a few hours, maybe 3 hours, should I believe that, no, someone has turned the clock. The white one has the S/N #419 and the blue one comes over from the Netherlands.

For me it is interesting which technical state they have, are all AD's done or not. Therefore I asked about the AD's.
My plan is to buy a Mini-500 in Germany or the neighbouring countries and get an N-registration. I work in the oil and gas service industry and have Houston TX as a second home. Getting an airworthiness for N-registration in Germany is no problem, I already have contact to approved inspectors.

@ Steve_UK:
May you are right and I shall look for a Rotorway A600 Talon which is an alternative, also with a D- registration

Thx
Bernd Dreyer
52.630848, 10.233077
Germany

 

[Vance]

Not flying for long periods of time is very hard on any aircraft.

In my opinion the engine will likely need to be rebuilt and at the very least all seals and soft parts will need to be replaced.

In my opinion transmission gears and all bearings will need to be inspected for corrosion.

A helicopter pilot’s license in Germany will not be inexpensive.

I mention these details as I feel it will significantly add to the cost of your helicopter adventure.

I wish you all the best on your aviation adventure.

 

[hillberg]

Hi,
I grow up in Germany with the TV movie "Tom Sellek as Magnum" and the Hughes 500D of his friend. So I am infected since years in the Hughes 500D and the Mini-500 ist the cheappest way to live the dream. My son serves in the Germany Army @ the helicopter airforce in Munich. So we both like helicopters, specific the Mini-500. my son more the newer helicopters.

People are like electric current and seek the path of least resistance. So ask in the forum instead of digging in the forum yourself or asking Mr Google.
Yes, I also found Bryan as a source, Dennis too of course, but I'm sometimes a bit reserved.

Both Mini-500 (D-HSMS & D-HUBU) are retired, D-HUBU S/N #340 hangs under the ceiling in the "Deutsches Museum" in Munich. The remaining one of D-HSMS S/N #216 is not known to me but Mr Otto Fröhlich crashed (engine stopped) him. One with S/N #100 was also registered in Germany, may this was the first one of Otto Fröhlich.

A German registration with D-H is extremely expensive and time-consuming. In the past it was quite easy to do, today it is almost impossible to register. So there is only one US-American registration N-... to get the Mini-500 airborne in Germany. Maybe a registration in Eastern Europe is also possible, e.g. Hungary or Poland.

Now to the "Service Instruction's" and the "AD's". I have now found some as copy / photo. I will put them all into a table and post them here to get feedback if there are still some missing.

Both helicopter offers are very old, not as old as me or my children, but not new. Both are said to have flown only a few hours, maybe 3 hours, should I believe that, no, someone has turned the clock. The white one has the S/N #419 and the blue one comes over from the Netherlands.

For me it is interesting which technical state they have, are all AD's done or not. Therefore I asked about the AD's.
My plan is to buy a Mini-500 in Germany or the neighbouring countries and get an N-registration. I work in the oil and gas service industry and have Houston TX as a second home. Getting an airworthiness for N-registration in Germany is no problem, I already have contact to approved inspectors.

@ Steve_UK:
May you are right and I shall look for a Rotorway A600 Talon which is an alternative, also with a D- registration

Thx
Bernd Dreyer
52.630848, 10.233077
Germany

If you look a Jet Exec would be a better pick - More flying and less maintenance....

 

[bryancobb]

All 17 Revolution Helicopter AD's for Mini-500 zipped-up and ready to send to you. 5473kb. Where to send??

 

[bryancobb]

I think I can upload PFD's???

 

[bryancobb]

Here's the rest except the very large one. I'll keep trying.

 

[dreyber]

Hi,

@ Bryan, thank you very much, there are very interesting AD´s in, that will give me a more clear understanding of some details.

@ Vance, yes you are right the German helicopter license in not cheap, multiply the US pricing by 2, then you will on the correct path. The big disadvantage of the German license is, that the training is 70% focused on theoretical things and the flight hours are also cost intensive. If you not renew (check flighst with examiner) your licence every 2 years, the license will be set as to be obsolete. That is the reason why we are prefer the us license. The us license is still valid a live long, compareable with our German driver license which is also still valid our live long.
Yes, both Mini 500 need a complete overhaul inspection, but I am in love with the Mini 500.

@ all, the are also a lot of "Service Information Letter" send out. Has anybody an idea how much, more than 22 letter?

Thx
Bernd Dreyer
52.630848, 10.233077
Germany

 

[PW_Plack]

Both are said to have flown only a few hours, maybe 3 hours, should I believe that, no, someone has turned the clock.

A flying machine that old is actually worth less with only three hours, so it's not likely made-up. I seem to recall other Mini 500s which were built and never flown by original builders. That three hours may be all time on the ground.

 

[WaspAir]

There is an old western saying, "never buy a horse for its color". The Hughes shape, copied in the Mini, may be cool, but you'll have to put up with a lot to get it. That engine is pretty marginal (and I got the impression that you need to re-jet it for any significant change in conditions).

Vielen Glück!

 

[bryancobb]

I will second what WaspAir stated and I am probably the most enthusiastic person anywhere about Mini-500's. The little helicopter is sexy and looks like a $million from 50 feet. It is NOT however, a machine for someone who is not very talented and experienced with things mechanical. You MUST be a 2-stroke sensei or you will never be able to operate the Rotax 582 reliably. You MUST weigh 190 pounds or less. Just be careful and don't get hurt.

 

[dreyber]

Yes, you are right, the Mini-500 is a money pit and I will have to invest a lot of time and money. Maybe it is better to buy a newer kit or something ready to use. I don't have 2 left hands with 10 little thumbs on it, I already unscrewed my first bike (2-stroke, 50cc & 3HP) after two days at the age of 15 to make it better and faster. My further apprentices and studies have further contributed to the fact that I am technically very well versed and also practically well-disposed. I am really torn, a Mini-500 is a dream of mine, if it is not for me I just put it in the living room, as well as my Suzuki 1250 Bandit.

Here is an additional interesting offer:
https://www.planecheck.com/index.asp?ent=da&id=47526&cor=y

Thx
Bernd Dreyer
52.630848, 10.233077
Germany