MSFS 2024 Status:
Investigating Marketplace
Support the site - donate!

Mini-500

Got Friends

HELICOPTERMINI500TURBINELIGHT

4.5/5 (314)

The Mini-500 is a 1990s single-seat light helicopter. The helicopter was deliverable in a kit to enthusiasts around the world for a unique home building experience.

This rendition is heavily inspired by the design of the original kit helicopter. However, we have adopted the Stitt Industries’ proposed plans and modified our kit with the Solar T-62 Turbine Engine. The Mini-500 has all the amenities of a great single seater helicopter with modified systems to ensure maximum stability, safety, speed and enjoyment.

Included Avionics Suites

  • Custom MGL Avionics with 7 Available Monitoring Pages
  • GTR-220 Radio and GTX-330 Transponder
  • Swappable GNS-530 Navigation System
  • Helmet HUD with Brightness Control Knob
  • Optional Sky4Sim NG VCockpit Support (PC ONLY)

Included Special Features:

  • 20 Original Liveries (4K / High Quality)
  • Native Rotorcraft Flight Model
  • Computational Fluid Dynamics
  • Togglable Vortex Ring State (VRS) and Retreating Blade Stall (RBS)
  • Togglable Visual Effects (Downwash and Sparks for Better FPS)
  • Visual Effects: Downwash, Landing, Sparks, Combustion, Heat, Precipitation and Icing
  • Realistic Solar T-62 Engine Flight Dynamics
  • Custom WWISE Soundpack
  • System Persistence (Flight-To-Flight)
  • Xbox Controller Support with In-Game Assistance Compatibility
  • Fully Animated Main Rotor and Tail Rotor Components
  • Multiplayer Compatible Rotor Animations
  • Working Headphone Simulation with Toggleable Audio Jack
  • Animated Skid Animations with Flexing
  • Virtual Cockpit Vibrations based on Engine Values
  • Virtual Cockpit Vibration Percentage Settings
  • Adjustable Trim for Hands-Free Flying
  • Removable Doors with Sound Design in Mind
  • Custom Lighting Effects with Accurate Electrical System Simulation
  • Animated Pilot Fully Compatible with Default Asobo Characters
  • Toggleable Tablet with Aera Navigation Installed
  • Safety Awareness Lights and Warning Indicators including NR Low/High Lights
  • Removable Magnetic Compass for Greater Forward Visibility
  • In-Game Checklist with Evaluation Compatibility and Highlights

Optional Downloads:

The Mini-500 is a single-seat, single-engine, homebuilt light helicopter by Revolution Helicopter Corporation of the United States. The rotorcraft, sold in kit form from 1994 to 1999, can be powered by either a reciprocating engine such as a Rotax 582, or a gas turbine engine. The Mini-500 took its first flight in 1990 and more than 100 have been built.

The Mini-500, which measures 22 feet, 6 inches in length, resembles the MD-500 helicopter in general form in that it features an egg-shaped body with a long, slender tail boom. Many of its components, including rotor blades and cabin superstructure, are built of composite materials. For thrust, the Mini-500 uses a 2-blade, semi-rigid main rotor system that measures 19-feet in diameter. It has a two-blade anti-torque tail rotor and has fixed tubular skids for landing gear. The turbine version is powered by a Solar T62 Titan APU (auxiliary power unit) engine that generates 90 horsepower.

The Mini-500 has an endurance of roughly three hours, climbs at 1,200 feet per minute, and has a service ceiling of 12,000 feet above sea level. It has a range of 250 miles, cruises at 95 miles per hour, and has a top speed of 120 mph.

The turbine-powered Mini-500 by Revolution Helicopter Corporation is a small craft that packs a large performance punch. Known for its nimbleness and responsiveness, the Mini-500 is also somewhat forgiving, making it a great rotorcraft for the uninitiated to jump into the world of rotary wing flight. It has also proven a go-to for more seasoned pilots who wish to sharpen their precision skills.

Specifications

CRUISE SPEED99 kts
ENGINESolar T-62 Turbine
MAX ALTITUDE10,000 ft
RANGE275 nm
EMPTY WEIGHT407 lbs
MAX WEIGHT820 lbs
FUEL CAPACITY25 gal
LENGTH22'6" ft

VERSION 1.0.9 RELEASED SEPTEMBER 28, 2025

VERSION 1.0.0 RELEASED FEBRUARY 13, 2023

Official Microsoft Flight Simulator (2020) Marketplace Release.

VERSION 1.0.1 RELEASED FEBRUARY 16, 2023

Manifest Version Updated NR Low / High Indicator Lights Fixed Turn Ball Coordinator Fixed MGL Landing Guide Page range increased from 20 to 30kts Electrical System Circuits Adjusted Improved Battery and Alternator functionality Added Fuel Valve Switch Cold & Dark Logic Added Neutral Lateral Trim and Longitudinal Trim States to Cold & Dark Added Mulitplayer Traffic Status for Air Traffic Tracking Fine-Tuned Apron, Cruise, and Runway Loading States Added Correct Specifications to Aircraft Performance Data Disc Coning Adjusted (Flight Model) Cyclic Roll Control Adjusted (Flight Model) Trim Steps Adjusted (Flight Model) Combined Tablet Stow/Extend and Power On/Off Added Map "Menu" Feature to Tablet Home Button Removed Skid "Snow" Effects due to Major FPS Impact Adjusted Pilot IK Chains/Animations Fixed "Hopper" Livery Skid Textures Fixed Gap in Tablet Holder 3D Model Removed Ability to Hide Pilot due to Multiplayer Issues Added VR Zoom Added Sky4Sim In-Game Tablet Support (Additional Download at Flightsim.to) Expanded In-Game Checklist and Further Expanded Flight Manual Checklist Updated Flight Manual

VERSION 1.0.2 RELEASED MARCH 15, 2023

Manifest Version Updated Removed Multiple Asobo Templates due to "Bad Loading States" Fixed 3D Scaling on Navigation Suites Fixed Compass Pivot 3D Model Issues Removed Door and Headphone Persistence (Revisit in Future) Door Open/Close/Hide is now independent to User Aircraft Increased Lightbar Emissives Added VRS Simulation Added RBS Simulation Updated Soundpack Added INOP Reminders for SU12 Dependencies Added VFX Checks to Rotor Brake Temporary VFX Fix when Landing Ships (Turn Rotor Brake ON) Fixed Rotor Slow/Blur Colors Updated Flight Manual

VERSION 1.0.3 RELEASED APRIL 8, 2023

CRITICAL: CHECK YOUR CONTROLLER BINDINGS Added Switch to turn On/Off Stalling Behaivors (VRS/RBS) Optimized Flight Model and Rotor Behavior with SU12 Updated Loading Tips for HOTAS and Controller Reminders Added Throttle/Twist Grip Functionality to Collective Stick Added SU12 Governor Compatibility and Switch to Collective Stick Temporarily Removed Clutch Switch (Still Broken After SU12) Added HMD to All Liveries (Knob Above Collective on Back Wall) Added Governor Switch Persistence Coding Updated In-Game Checklist and Flight Manual Checklist Updated Flight Manual with Recommended Controller Bindings Updated Marketplace Data and Manifest

VERSION 1.0.4 RELEASED APRIL 25, 2023

Strip Grass, Dirt and Snow Skid Effects to Improve Performance (Low FPS Adjustment) Adjusted Soundpack and Toned-Down High Pitch Whistling New Sky4Sim & Economy UNR Replacement Packages Availabe for Download Updated Marketplace Data

VERSION 1.0.5 RELEASED APRIL 29, 2023

VERSION 1.0.6 RELEASED AUGUST 30, 2023

VERSION 1.0.7 RELEASED JULY 1, 2024

VERSION 1.0.8 RELEASED NOVEMBER 13, 2024