NOTAR question

Hughes are on to a winner with NOTAR. Instead of a noisy tail rotor, air is drawn from the modified engine and pumped down the tail boom to emerge through a slot in one side of the end. By simply flying as normal, the pilot's inputs through the rudder pedals result in more or less air coming out the vent, resulting in the boom moving to left or right.
The main advantage is in the noise reduction achieved over a conventional tail rotor, making the NOTAR very attractive for those agencies who have to fly regularly in residential areas.
As to models, I'll leave that answer to come from one of the more knowledgeable readers of these pages! Hope this info. is of value to you.

NOTAR was not bought by the military, biggest customer of Helos, therefore, there are still not many out there. Huges is still marketing and offering it to customers.

As for models, none out there that I know of. I have seen a few that have been converted to NOTAR birds. It looks like it would be a pretty easy conversion.

An MD500 NOTAR just came into Lubbock Airport on Thursday. (I know, things have been busy here!) Nice silver and maroon paint job. I was amazed by it. Really cool looking!

The Army did test two, but never used them operationally. Biggest userer's were on the private side. Phoenix PD got the first 7 off the line and have been using them, they are now being replace by Eurocopter's due to age. Biggest down side to them is that they are underpowered(the reason the Army turned them down.) The Army did convert 1 OH-6A to a NOTAR also, but converted it back after testing. (EH-6B was to have been a command and control bird.) Believe all three were tested by the 160thSOAR(A) but have not been able to confirm.
No models of a NOTAR have been made as far has I know, but you could convert.
John
Helicopters don't fly, they beat the air into submission

Hughes Aircraft was bought by McDonald-Douglas in the mid-80's shortly after winning the Apache contract and moved the light helicopter production to Mesa, AZ(suburb of Phoenix). Boeing bought M-D in the mid-90'sand sold the light helicopter business from the MD Holding Co. to RDM Holding Co., a subcontractor on the Apache.
John
Helicoters don't fly, they beat the air into submission

As a matter of fact there is a 1:72 kit of a notar-machine, although unfortunately not of the MD500/ 600-range but of their larger brother, the MD900 Explorer. It's a resin kit by Czech models. If you type 'explorer' in the search box of the Luchtvaart Hobby Shop-site (www.lhs.nl), you can find a picture of the box art.
Regards!
Gertjan