"Elsie II"

Affectionately dubbed "Elsie II," the sleek, dark blue MD 902 Explorer helicopter built by MD Helicopters, Inc., of Mesa, Arizona, replaces the smaller Messerschmitt BO105 LS air ambulance that Cox Air Care put into service in January 1989. The older aircraft, nicknamed "Elsie" because of tail lettering that included the initials of former CoxHealth Board Chairman Lester Cox, served admirably for more than 18 years.

"Elsie II" (officially N902LC) represents a dramatic improvement of technology and design, compared to its predecessor, "She's bigger, roomier, faster, quieter and is considerably easier to maintain," according to program director Susan Crum, RN.

The MD 902 Explorer also features a larger payload area, better instrumentation, night vision capability, a terrain avoidance and warning system, and heating and air conditioning systems to maintain greater comfort in flight. The enhanced safety features of this new aircraft allow Cox Air Care pilots to put the helicopter into some very confined landing zones that are common in this area. Seventy percent of Cox Air Care's missions are scene flights, making these new features very important.

Greater fuel tank capacity for the new twin-engine, tail rotor-less aircraft also gives it a longer range of travel, enabling trips as far away as St. Louis without the need to stop and refuel. Below is a statistical comparison of the new MD 902 to the previous BO105.

	MD 902 Explorer	BO105 LS
Engine	Light twin	Light twin
Noise level	83.6 Db - the lowest in the industry	93.2 Db
Tail set	High set Main rotors and patented Notar system 360 degree safe operability	High set Main and tail rotors
Cockpit visibility	Optimized design providing the most unobstructed visibility in the industry	Early design required more frame
Range	Max range: 365 nautical miles	Max range: 130 nautical miles
Cruise speed	140 knots	105 knots
Cabin space	173 cubic feet - the largest in its class	84.76 cubic feet
Cabin measurements	15.6 inches longer and 10 inches wider than the BO105 LS
Payload	2,550 lbs.	1,650 lbs.

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