The Revolution Mini-500 is a 1990s American single-seat light helicopter, designed and built by Revolution Helicopter Corporation as a kit for homebuilding. Revolution Helicopter went out of business in November 1999 and kits are no longer available. The Mini-500 was designed as a light helicopter that resembles a scaled-down Hughes 500, powered by a Rotax 582 64 hp (48 kW) two-stroke engine. The Mini-500 design was initially based upon Augusto Cicaré's control system design as incorporated in his CH-6 prototype helicopter, but company president Dennis Fetters and Cicaré were unable to agree on licensing terms. Fetters instead elected to design and patent a "newly improved control system". The Mini-500 has a tubular steel fuselage with a foam and glass-fibre structure cabin. It has a two-bladed semi-rigid rotor and a conventional two-blade tail rotor. The first Mini-500 flew in 1992 and the company delivered the first production factory-assembled helicopter in July 1994. Production of kits ceased in 1999 and the company claimed that more than 500 had been sold. For more information on the Mini-500, click here.
