Airbus Helicopters H125 vs Airbus Helicopters H130 vs Airbus Helicopters H135 vs Bell 505 Jetranger X vs Leonardo Aw109 Grand New vs Leonardo Aw119kx vs Leonardo Sh09 vs Md Helicopters Md 902 Exlplorer vs Sikorsky S 76d
By category, the Airbus H125, Bell 505, and Leonardo AW119Kx are single‑engine light helicopters, typically chosen for utility, training, and cost‑sensitive passenger work. The Airbus H130 and MD 902 Explorer are also light singles in typical mission use, but emphasize quieter, higher‑comfort passenger layouts (the MD 902’s NOTAR design also targets low external noise and simplified tail-rotor risk). The Airbus H135 is a light twin, common for EMS, law enforcement, and corporate transport where redundancy is valued. The Leonardo AW109 GrandNew and Sikorsky S‑76D sit in the light‑intermediate twin/corporate class, offering higher cruise speeds, premium cabins, and greater IFR/mission capability. The Leonardo SH09 is a modern light single aimed at utility/passenger roles. For range, most light singles (H125, H130, 505, AW119Kx, SH09) cluster around roughly 300–400 nm depending on tanks and reserves. Light twins like the H135 are similar or slightly higher in typical fit. Faster corporate twins (AW109 GrandNew, S‑76D) generally offer longer legs, often around 400–500+ nm with standard tanks. Passenger capacity typically runs 4–6 passengers in smaller light types (505, AW119Kx), about 5–7 in H125/H130/MD 902/SH09, around 5–6 in H135 (mission‑dependent), and roughly 6–8 in AW109 and S‑76D.
| Spec | AIRBUS H125 | AIRBUS H130 | AIRBUS H135 | Bell 505 JetRanger X | AGUSTA / LEONARDO AW109 Grand New | AGUSTA / LEONARDO AW119Kx | AGUSTA / LEONARDO SH09 | MD Helicopters MD 902 Exlplorer | Sikorsky S-76D |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Summary | |||||||||
| Cockpit | 2 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| DOC / nm | $ 4.61 | $ 5.00 | $ 6.33 | $ 3.53 | $ 7.31 | $ 6.76 | $4.48 | $ 7.54 | $ 11.49 |
| Min Crew | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Total Seats | 6 | 7 | 9 | 5 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 12 |
| Flight Rules | VFR | VFR | IFR | VFR | VFR | VFR | VFR | VFR | IFR |
| Manufacturer | Airbus Helicopters | Airbus Helicopters | Airbus Helicopters | Bell | Leonardo | Leonardo | Leonardo | MD Helicotpers | Sikorsky |
| Aircraft Name | H125 | H130 | H135 | 505 JetRanger X | AW109 Grand New | AW119Kx | SH09 | MD 902 Exlplorer | S-76D |
| Certification | FAA / EASA | FAA / EASA | FAA / EASA | FAA / EASA | FAA / EASA | FAA / EASA | In-Development | FAA / EASA | FAA / EASA |
| Max Range (nm) | 341 | 333 | 342 | 306 | 464 | 515 | 430 | 317 | 441 |
| DOC / nm / Seat | $ 0.77 | $ 0.71 | $ 0.79 | $ 0.71 | $ 0.91 | $ 0.84 | $0.56 | $ 0.94 | $ 0.96 |
| Max Cabin Seats | 5 | 5 | 7 | — | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 10 |
| OEM Verification | VERIFIED | Un-Verified | Un-Verified | VERIFIED | Un-Verified | Un-Verified | Un-Verified | Un-Verified | Un-Verified |
| Useful Load (lbs) | 2189 | 2299 | 3124 | 1500 | — | — | — | 3125 | — |
| Standard Cabin Seats | 4 | 4 | 7 | 3 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 10 |
| Direct Operating Cost | $ 627 | $ 640 | $ 861 | $ 441 | $ 1,140 | $ 885 | $627 | $ 988 | $ 1,781 |
| Flight Deck (Base Spec) | Garmin G500H | Garmin G500H | Helionix | Garmin G1000H | EFIS | Garmin G1000H | EFIS | Garmin G500H | Thales TopDeck |
| Max Cruise Speed (ktas) | 136 | 128 | 136 | 125 | 156 | 131 | 140 | 131 | 155 |
| Base Aircraft Price (USD) | $3,200,000 | $3,450,000 | $6,150,000 | $1,445,000 | $ 7,800,000 | $3,850,000 | $3,500,000 | $7,250,000 | $14,900,000 |
| Max Passengers | — | — | — | — | — | — | 7 | — | — |
| Cabin | |||||||||
| Cockpit | 2 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Min Crew | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Total Seats | 6 | 7 | 9 | 5 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 12 |
| Max Cabin Seats | 5 | 5 | 7 | — | 6 | 6 | — | 6 | 10 |
| Standard Cabin Seats | 4 | 4 | 7 | 3 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 10 |
| Configuration | — | — | Green Interior | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Engine | |||||||||
| FADEC | Yes | Yes | Yes | Dual-Channel | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes |
| Model | Arriel 2D | Arriel 2D | Arrius 2B2+ | Arrius 2R | PW207C | PT6B-37A | HTS 900 | PW207E | PW210S |
| Fuel Type | JetFuel | JetFuel | JetFuel | JetFuel | JetFuel | JetFuel | JetFuel | JetFuel | JetFuel |
| TBO (hrs) | 5000 | 5000 | 4000 | 4000 | 4000 | 4500 | 5500 | 4000 | 4000 |
| Horsepower | 847 | 952 | 660 | 505 | 735 | 917 | 1020 | 710 | 1077 |
| No. of Engines | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| Fuel Capacity (gal) | 143 | 143 | — | 84.85 | 152 | 160 | — | 159 | 296 |
| Fuel Burn (gph) | — | — | — | 32.3 | — | — | — | 65 | — |
| Dimensions | |||||||||
| Length (ft) | 42.5 | 41.5 | 33.5 | 42.48 | 42.5 | 42.5 | — | 40.6 | 52.5 |
| Overall Height (ft) | 10 | 11.1 | 12.6 | 10.65 | 11.5 | 11.9 | — | 12 | 14.5 |
| Rotor Diameter (ft) | 36.1 | 35.1 | 34 | 37 | 35.5 | 35.5 | — | 33.9 | 44 |
| Cabin Volume (cu. ft) | — | — | 173 | 137 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Width (ft) | — | — | — | 6.51 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Cabin Width (ft) | — | — | — | 4.66 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Cabin Height (ft) | — | — | — | 2.75 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Cabin Length (ft) | — | — | — | 7.17 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Baggage Volume Ext. (cu. ft) | — | — | — | 18 | — | — | — | — | — |