What was a CHI KC 518 Adventourer?

The Composite Helicopters International KC 518 Adventourer was a composite fuselage, 5-6 place turbine kit helicopter.

It was a composite fuselage helicopter kit that was designed for amateur construction. The airframe used a carbon fiber and kevlar composite fuselage with a shrouded tail rotor. An auxiliary fuel system could be installed.

Other versions with the same fuselage are KC630 with Rolls-Royce RR300 engine in 2017 (priced at US$970,000), KC640 with the RR250 in 2018, and KC650 with the Honeywell LTS101, expected to be certified by 2019. The rights to the KC630 was acquired by 'Innova Helicopters' (USA) in 2017. 'Innova' is still displaying the C630 on its website, designating the aircraft as ‘in development’, and chatter in various aviation forums seems to suggest that the American side of the business, presumably referring to 'Innova', is going to push forward with the type certification of the aircraft.

The aircraft was not without its performance issues ...

At about 11:15am on 7 May 2013, while on a test flight Pilot Peter Maloney and his female passenger were rescued uninjured after ditching in the Hauraki Gulf, New Zealand.

At about 9:30am on 8 November 2014, while on a test flight Pilot Peter Maloney and his co-pilot, Norbert Idelon were uninjured after a heavy landing near Silverdale, Auckland due to suspected mechanical problems.