Airbus Helicopters H125 vs Airbus Helicopters H130 vs Bell 429wlg Globalranger vs Enstrom Helicotper 480b G vs Leonardo Aw109 Grand New vs Leonardo Aw119kx vs Leonardo Sh09 vs Md Helicopters Md 500e vs Md Helicopters Md 600n vs Robinson Helicopters R66
All are light helicopters, but they span utility singles and light twin intermediates. The Airbus H125, H130, Leonardo AW119Kx, Enstrom 480B‑G, MD 500E, MD 600N, Robinson R66, and Leonardo SH09 are single‑engine types generally used for utility, tourism, and light EMS roles, while the Bell 429 GlobalRanger and Leonardo AW109 GrandNew are light twins favored where twin‑engine redundancy, IFR capability, and higher mission equipment loads are priorities. By passenger capacity, the largest cabins in this set are typically the H130 and Bell 429, commonly configured around six to seven passengers plus pilot, while the H125 and AW119Kx often seat about five to six plus pilot depending on interior and weight. The AW109 GrandNew is usually arranged for about five to six passengers plus two pilots. The R66 and MD 500E are commonly around four passengers plus pilot; the MD 600N often carries about five plus pilot; the 480B‑G is typically four plus pilot; the SH09 is commonly projected around five plus pilot. Range varies by tanking and payload, but in general the light twins (429, AW109) and efficient singles like H125/H130/AW119Kx tend to offer the longer legs, with the smaller singles (R66, 480B‑G, MD 500E) typically shorter and the MD 600N and SH09 generally mid‑pack.
| Spec | AIRBUS H125 | AIRBUS H130 | Bell 429WLG GlobalRanger | AGUSTA / LEONARDO AW109 Grand New | AGUSTA / LEONARDO AW119Kx | AGUSTA / LEONARDO SH09 | MD Helicopters MD 500E | MD Helicopters MD 600N | ROBINSON R66 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Summary | |||||||||
| Cockpit | 2 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| DOC / nm | $ 4.61 | $ 5.00 | $ 6.05 | $ 7.31 | $ 6.76 | $4.48 | $ 2.95 | $ 4.06 | $ 3.49 |
| Min Crew | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Total Seats | 6 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 4 | 6 | 5 |
| Flight Rules | VFR | VFR | IFR | VFR | VFR | VFR | VFR | VFR | VFR |
| Manufacturer | Airbus Helicopters | Airbus Helicopters | Bell | Leonardo | Leonardo | Leonardo | MD Helicotpers | MD Helicotpers | Robinson Helicopters |
| Aircraft Name | H125 | H130 | 429WLG GlobalRanger | AW109 Grand New | AW119Kx | SH09 | MD 500E | MD 600N | R66 |
| Certification | FAA / EASA | FAA / EASA | FAA / EASA | FAA / EASA | FAA / EASA | In-Development | FAA / EASA | FAA / EASA | FAA / EASA |
| Max Range (nm) | 341 | 333 | 381 | 464 | 515 | 430 | 258 | 341 | 350 |
| DOC / nm / Seat | $ 0.77 | $ 0.71 | $ 0.76 | $ 0.91 | $ 0.84 | $0.56 | $ 0.74 | $ 0.68 | $ 0.70 |
| Max Cabin Seats | 5 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 3 | 5 | — |
| OEM Verification | VERIFIED | Un-Verified | VERIFIED | Un-Verified | Un-Verified | Un-Verified | Un-Verified | Un-Verified | Un-Verified |
| Useful Load (lbs) | 2189 | 2299 | 2528 | — | — | — | 1483 | 2000 | 1355 |
| Standard Cabin Seats | 4 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 2 | 5 | 3 |
| Direct Operating Cost | $ 627 | $ 640 | $ 931 | $ 1,140 | $ 885 | $627 | $ 398 | $ 545 | $ 384 |
| Flight Deck (Base Spec) | Garmin G500H | Garmin G500H | Bell BasiX-Pro | EFIS | Garmin G1000H | EFIS | Gyro / Analog | Gyro / Analog | Gyro / Analog |
| Max Cruise Speed (ktas) | 136 | 128 | 154 | 156 | 131 | 140 | 135 | 134 | 110 |
| Base Aircraft Price (USD) | $3,200,000 | $3,450,000 | $7,700,000 | $ 7,800,000 | $3,850,000 | $3,500,000 | $ 2,750,000 | $3,400,000 | $ 920,000 |
| Max Passengers | — | — | — | — | — | 7 | — | — | — |
| Cabin | |||||||||
| Cockpit | 2 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Min Crew | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Total Seats | 6 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 4 | 6 | 5 |
| Max Cabin Seats | 5 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 6 | — | 3 | 5 | — |
| Standard Cabin Seats | 4 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 2 | 5 | 3 |
| Engine | |||||||||
| FADEC | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No |
| Model | Arriel 2D | Arriel 2D | PW207D1 | PW207C | PT6B-37A | HTS 900 | 250-C20B | 250-C47 | RR300 |
| Fuel Type | JetFuel | JetFuel | JetFuel | JetFuel | JetFuel | JetFuel | JetFuel | JetFuel | JetFuel |
| TBO (hrs) | 5000 | 5000 | 4000 | 4000 | 4500 | 5500 | 3500 | 2000 | 2000 |
| Horsepower | 847 | 952 | 1100 | 735 | 917 | 1020 | 420 | 715 | 300 |
| No. of Engines | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Fuel Capacity (gal) | 143 | 143 | 216.9 | 152 | 160 | — | 64 | 118 | 73.6 |
| Fuel Burn (gph) | — | — | 76 | — | — | — | 35 | 41 | — |
| Dimensions | |||||||||
| Length (ft) | 42.5 | 41.5 | 43 | 42.5 | 42.5 | — | 30.9 | 36.9 | 38.3 |
| Overall Height (ft) | 10 | 11.1 | 12.39 | 11.5 | 11.9 | — | 8.7 | 9.7 | 11.4 |
| Rotor Diameter (ft) | 36.1 | 35.1 | 36 | 35.5 | 35.5 | — | 26.4 | 27.5 | 33 |
| Width (ft) | — | — | 26.37 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Cabin Width (ft) | — | — | 5 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Cabin Height (ft) | — | — | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Cabin Length (ft) | — | — | 6.58 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Cabin Volume (cu. ft) | — | — | 130 | — | — | — | — | — | 50 |
| Baggage Volume Ext. (cu. ft) | — | — | 74 | — | — | — | — | — | 18 |