Airbus Helicopters H125 vs Airbus Helicopters H135 vs Bell 407gxi vs Bell 412epi vs Bell 429wlg Globalranger vs Bell 505 Jetranger X vs Bell 525 Relentless vs Leonardo Aw109 Grand New vs Leonardo Aw119kx vs Leonardo Aw139 vs Leonardo Aw169 vs Leonardo Aw189 vs Leonardo Sh09 vs Md Helicopters Md 500e vs Md Helicopters Md 902 Exlplorer vs Sikorsky S 76d
Airbus H125, Bell 407GXi, Bell 505, Leonardo AW119Kx, and MD 500E are light single‑engine helicopters, typically best for utility, training, and short‑to‑medium missions; they generally carry about 4–6 passengers and offer moderate range, with the H125 and 407GXi often favored for strong hot‑and‑high performance. Airbus H135, Bell 429, MD 902, Leonardo AW109 Grand New, and Sikorsky S‑76D are light twin‑engine models aimed at EMS, corporate, and IFR-capable operations; they commonly seat around 5–8 passengers and provide moderate-to-long range, with the S‑76D and H135 often associated with refined passenger transport. Bell 412EPi and Leonardo AW139 are medium twins suited to utility and offshore roles; they usually carry roughly 10–13 passengers and deliver longer range than light twins. Leonardo AW169 and Bell 525 occupy the upper‑intermediate/super‑medium space, typically around 8–16 passengers with long range and higher cruise speeds. Leonardo AW189 and Leonardo SH09 are larger-category, long‑range offshore/utility helicopters, commonly around 16–19 passengers.
| Spec | AIRBUS H125 | AIRBUS H135 | Bell 407GXi | Bell 412EPi | Bell 429WLG GlobalRanger | Bell 505 JetRanger X | Bell 525 Relentless | AGUSTA / LEONARDO AW109 Grand New | AGUSTA / LEONARDO AW119Kx | AGUSTA / LEONARDO AW139 | AGUSTA / LEONARDO AW169 | AGUSTA / LEONARDO AW189 | AGUSTA / LEONARDO SH09 | MD Helicopters MD 500E | MD Helicopters MD 902 Exlplorer | Sikorsky S-76D |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Summary | ||||||||||||||||
| Cockpit | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| DOC / nm | $ 4.61 | $ 6.33 | $ 4.43 | $ 12.09 | $ 6.05 | $ 3.53 | — | $ 7.31 | $ 6.76 | $ 11.69 | $ 11.84 | $ 15.57 | $4.48 | $ 2.95 | $ 7.54 | $ 11.49 |
| Min Crew | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Total Seats | 6 | 9 | 6 | 14 | 8 | 5 | 18 | 8 | 8 | 17 | 12 | 21 | 8 | 4 | 8 | 12 |
| Flight Rules | VFR | IFR | VFR | IFR | IFR | VFR | IFR | VFR | VFR | IFR | IFR | IFR | VFR | VFR | VFR | IFR |
| Manufacturer | Airbus Helicopters | Airbus Helicopters | Bell | Bell | Bell | Bell | Bell | Leonardo | Leonardo | Leonardo | Leonardo | Leonardo | Leonardo | MD Helicotpers | MD Helicotpers | Sikorsky |
| Aircraft Name | H125 | H135 | 407GXi | 412EPi | 429WLG GlobalRanger | 505 JetRanger X | 525 Relentless | AW109 Grand New | AW119Kx | AW139 | AW169 | AW189 | SH09 | MD 500E | MD 902 Exlplorer | S-76D |
| Certification | FAA / EASA | FAA / EASA | FAA / EASA | FAA / EASA | FAA / EASA | FAA / EASA | FAA / EASA | FAA / EASA | FAA / EASA | FAA / EASA | FAA / EASA | FAA / EASA | In-Development | FAA / EASA | FAA / EASA | FAA / EASA |
| Max Range (nm) | 341 | 342 | 337 | 361 | 381 | 306 | 580 | 464 | 515 | 573 | 440 | 651 | 430 | 258 | 317 | 441 |
| DOC / nm / Seat | $ 0.77 | $ 0.79 | $ 0.74 | $ 0.86 | $ 0.76 | $ 0.71 | — | $ 0.91 | $ 0.84 | $ 0.69 | $ 0.99 | $ 0.74 | $0.56 | $ 0.74 | $ 0.94 | $ 0.96 |
| Max Cabin Seats | 5 | 7 | 5 | 13 | 6 | — | 16 | 6 | 6 | 15 | 10 | 19 | 6 | 3 | 6 | 10 |
| OEM Verification | VERIFIED | Un-Verified | VERIFIED | VERIFIED | VERIFIED | VERIFIED | VERIFIED | Un-Verified | Un-Verified | Un-Verified | Un-Verified | Un-Verified | Un-Verified | Un-Verified | Un-Verified | Un-Verified |
| Useful Load (lbs) | 2189 | 3124 | 2300 | 4829 | 2528 | 1500 | 6675 | — | — | 4701 | — | — | — | 1483 | 3125 | — |
| Standard Cabin Seats | 4 | 7 | 5 | 13 | 6 | 3 | 16 | 6 | 6 | 15 | 10 | 19 | 6 | 2 | 6 | 10 |
| Direct Operating Cost | $ 627 | $ 861 | $ 589 | $ 1,487 | $ 931 | $ 441 | — | $ 1,140 | $ 885 | $ 1,929 | $ 1,658 | $ 2,413 | $627 | $ 398 | $ 988 | $ 1,781 |
| Flight Deck (Base Spec) | Garmin G500H | Helionix | Garmin G1000H NXI | Bell BasiX-Pro | Bell BasiX-Pro | Garmin G1000H | Garmin G5000H | EFIS | Garmin G1000H | EFIS | EFIS | EFIS | EFIS | Gyro / Analog | Garmin G500H | Thales TopDeck |
| Max Cruise Speed (ktas) | 136 | 136 | 133 | 123 | 154 | 125 | 160 | 156 | 131 | 165 | 140 | 155 | 140 | 135 | 131 | 155 |
| Base Aircraft Price (USD) | $3,200,000 | $6,150,000 | $3,225,000 | $ 12,500,000 | $7,700,000 | $1,445,000 | $15,000,000 | $ 7,800,000 | $3,850,000 | $15,900,000 | $9,450,000 | $2,413,000 | $3,500,000 | $ 2,750,000 | $7,250,000 | $14,900,000 |
| Max Passengers | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 7 | — | — | — |
| Cabin | ||||||||||||||||
| Cockpit | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Min Crew | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Total Seats | 6 | 9 | 6 | 14 | 8 | 5 | 18 | 8 | 8 | 17 | 12 | 21 | 8 | 4 | 8 | 12 |
| Max Cabin Seats | 5 | 7 | 5 | 13 | 6 | — | 16 | 6 | 6 | 15 | 10 | 19 | — | 3 | 6 | 10 |
| Standard Cabin Seats | 4 | 7 | 5 | 13 | 6 | 3 | 16 | 6 | 6 | 15 | 10 | 19 | 6 | 2 | 6 | 10 |
| Configuration | — | Green Interior | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Engine | ||||||||||||||||
| FADEC | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Dual-Channel | Dual-Channel | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | Yes |
| Model | Arriel 2D | Arrius 2B2+ | M250-C47E/4 | PT6T-9 | PW207D1 | Arrius 2R | CT7-2F1 | PW207C | PT6B-37A | PT6C-67C | PW210A | CT7-2E1 | HTS 900 | 250-C20B | PW207E | PW210S |
| Fuel Type | JetFuel | JetFuel | JetFuel | JetFuel | JetFuel | JetFuel | JetFuel | JetFuel | JetFuel | JetFuel | JetFuel | JetFuel | JetFuel | JetFuel | JetFuel | JetFuel |
| TBO (hrs) | 5000 | 4000 | 3500 | 4000 | 4000 | 4000 | 4000 | 4000 | 4500 | 5000 | 4000 | 4000 | 5500 | 3500 | 4000 | 4000 |
| Horsepower | 847 | 660 | 862 | 1370 | 1100 | 505 | 1800 | 735 | 917 | 1679 | 1000 | 1983 | 1020 | 420 | 710 | 1077 |
| No. of Engines | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| Fuel Capacity (gal) | 143 | — | 127.8 | 330.5 | 216.9 | 84.85 | 641 | 152 | 160 | 414 | — | — | — | 64 | 159 | 296 |
| Fuel Burn (gph) | — | — | 46 | 113 | 76 | 32.3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 35 | 65 | — |
| Dimensions | ||||||||||||||||
| Length (ft) | 42.5 | 33.5 | 41.4 | 52.1 | 43 | 42.48 | 61.58 | 42.5 | 42.5 | 54.7 | 48.1 | 57.8 | — | 30.9 | 40.6 | 52.5 |
| Overall Height (ft) | 10 | 12.6 | 10.2 | 11.5 | 12.39 | 10.65 | 18.18 | 11.5 | 11.9 | 16.4 | 14.8 | 16.6 | — | 8.7 | 12 | 14.5 |
| Rotor Diameter (ft) | 36.1 | 34 | 35 | 46 | 36 | 37 | 54.5 | 35.5 | 35.5 | 54.7 | — | 48 | — | 26.4 | 33.9 | 44 |
| Cabin Volume (cu. ft) | — | 173 | 125 | 220 | 130 | 137 | — | — | — | 282 | 222.5 | 395 | — | — | — | — |
| Width (ft) | — | — | 25.4 | 33 | 26.37 | 6.51 | 25.77 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Cabin Width (ft) | — | — | 5 | — | 5 | 4.66 | 7.58 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Cabin Height (ft) | — | — | 3.9 | — | 4 | 2.75 | 4.5 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Baggage Volume Ext. (cu. ft) | — | — | 16 | 28 | 74 | 18 | 128 | — | — | 120 | 49.5 | 85 | — | — | — | — |
| Cabin Length (ft) | — | — | — | — | 6.58 | 7.17 | 15.5 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |