An 8 x 10 inch color print on Fujichrome Professional Paper, stamped and dated by Jeff Evans on February 2, 1994. The bright red MD 900 Explorer, registration N9208V, carries the word "Experimental" on the forward fuselage — confirmed directly on the print. A second NOTAR helicopter, blue demonstrator N52000, sits in the background.
Jeff's own handwritten caption on the back reads: "MD 900 Explorer Prepares To Leave Anaheim Convention Center With MD 520N Already Heading Out For Arizona, Mesa." This places the photo squarely in the MD Explorer's pre-certification development period — the aircraft wasn't FAA certified until December 1994.
The MD 900 Explorer was McDonnell Douglas's clean-sheet twin-engine NOTAR program, launched as the MDX concept and first flown on December 18, 1992. Its composite airframe, five-blade rotor system, and No-Tail-Rotor anti-torque system made it visually and technically distinct from anything else flying at the time.
Captured here roughly ten months before certification, this print documents the Explorer in its experimental/development phase — a genuinely interesting window into modern helicopter history.
Jeffrey C. Evans (1945–2025) was a respected helicopter historian, researcher, and photographer based in Southern California, and a long-term member of both the Vertical Flight Society and Vertical Aviation International.
He co-authored The Bell 47 Helicopter Story: Birth of the Commercial & Military Helicopter Industry with Robert S. Petite. This print is stamped directly by Jeff with the date and negative number, and was acquired as part of his California estate archive in 2026.
8 x 10 inch color print on Fujichrome Professional Paper, good used condition with typical glossy-photo handling wear. Bright, clear color throughout. Please review all photos closely for exact condition.
| Subject | McDonnell Douglas MD 900 Explorer, N9208V, Experimental |
| Location/Caption | Anaheim Convention Center, departing for Mesa, Arizona |
| Photographer | Jeff Evans, stamped 2-2-94, Neg. # RI-7-2994 |
| Format | 8 x 10", Color, Fujichrome Professional Paper |
| Provenance | Jeffrey C. Evans Helicopter Archive Estate |
| Custom SKU | PHO-FLDH1-S22H |
Ships free, flat, between rigid stiffeners to prevent bending or creasing. Tracked shipping included.
Photos are part of the description — please review all images closely before purchasing.
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