McDonald Helicopters was formerly McDonald Douglas Helicopter Systems, a U.S. aviation manufacturer specializing in helicopter manufacturing, sales and support. McDonnell Helicopters manufactures light universal helicopters for commercial and military purposes. Until 1984, the company was a subsidiary of Hughes Aircraft Corporation, which later acquired and renamed McDonald Douglas Helicopter Systems Corporation. In the late 1990s, McDonald Douglas merged with Boeing. After a series of commercial operations, McDonald Helicopters became an independent company, which is now MD Helicopters, Inc.