Airbus Helicopters H125 vs Airbus Helicopters H135 vs Bell 407gxi vs Bell 412epi vs Bell 505 Jetranger X vs Leonardo Aw109 Grand New vs Leonardo Aw119kx vs Leonardo Aw169 vs Leonardo Sh09 vs Md Helicopters Md 500e vs Md Helicopters Md 902 Exlplorer
The Airbus H125, Bell 407GXi, Leonardo AW119Kx, Bell 505, and MD 500E are broadly single‑engine light helicopters. They typically seat about 4–6 passengers (plus pilot), emphasize utility and cost efficiency, and offer moderate range; among them, the H125 and 407GXi are commonly chosen when hot‑and‑high performance and useful load matter, while the 505 and MD 500E skew lighter with generally shorter legs. The Airbus H135, Leonardo AW109 GrandNew, and MD 902 Explorer are light twin‑engine types. They usually carry around 5–7 passengers with improved redundancy and smoother IFR/EMS suitability, and their ranges are generally comparable to, or slightly better than, the single‑engine lights depending on tanks and mission fit. The Bell 412EPi, Leonardo AW169, and Leonardo SH09 sit in the intermediate twin category. They are designed for higher payload and cabin volume, commonly around 8–12 passengers, and tend to provide longer practical range and better all‑weather, multi‑role capability than the light class, making them typical choices for offshore support, SAR, and high‑utilization transport.
| Spec | AIRBUS H125 | AIRBUS H135 | Bell 407GXi | Bell 412EPi | Bell 505 JetRanger X | AGUSTA / LEONARDO AW109 Grand New | AGUSTA / LEONARDO AW119Kx | AGUSTA / LEONARDO AW169 | AGUSTA / LEONARDO SH09 | MD Helicopters MD 500E | MD Helicopters MD 902 Exlplorer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Summary | |||||||||||
| Cockpit | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| DOC / nm | $ 4.61 | $ 6.33 | $ 4.43 | $ 12.09 | $ 3.53 | $ 7.31 | $ 6.76 | $ 11.84 | $4.48 | $ 2.95 | $ 7.54 |
| Min Crew | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Total Seats | 6 | 9 | 6 | 14 | 5 | 8 | 8 | 12 | 8 | 4 | 8 |
| Flight Rules | VFR | IFR | VFR | IFR | VFR | VFR | VFR | IFR | VFR | VFR | VFR |
| Manufacturer | Airbus Helicopters | Airbus Helicopters | Bell | Bell | Bell | Leonardo | Leonardo | Leonardo | Leonardo | MD Helicotpers | MD Helicotpers |
| Aircraft Name | H125 | H135 | 407GXi | 412EPi | 505 JetRanger X | AW109 Grand New | AW119Kx | AW169 | SH09 | MD 500E | MD 902 Exlplorer |
| Certification | FAA / EASA | FAA / EASA | FAA / EASA | FAA / EASA | FAA / EASA | FAA / EASA | FAA / EASA | FAA / EASA | In-Development | FAA / EASA | FAA / EASA |
| Max Range (nm) | 341 | 342 | 337 | 361 | 306 | 464 | 515 | 440 | 430 | 258 | 317 |
| DOC / nm / Seat | $ 0.77 | $ 0.79 | $ 0.74 | $ 0.86 | $ 0.71 | $ 0.91 | $ 0.84 | $ 0.99 | $0.56 | $ 0.74 | $ 0.94 |
| Max Cabin Seats | 5 | 7 | 5 | 13 | — | 6 | 6 | 10 | 6 | 3 | 6 |
| OEM Verification | VERIFIED | Un-Verified | VERIFIED | VERIFIED | VERIFIED | Un-Verified | Un-Verified | Un-Verified | Un-Verified | Un-Verified | Un-Verified |
| Useful Load (lbs) | 2189 | 3124 | 2300 | 4829 | 1500 | — | — | — | — | 1483 | 3125 |
| Standard Cabin Seats | 4 | 7 | 5 | 13 | 3 | 6 | 6 | 10 | 6 | 2 | 6 |
| Direct Operating Cost | $ 627 | $ 861 | $ 589 | $ 1,487 | $ 441 | $ 1,140 | $ 885 | $ 1,658 | $627 | $ 398 | $ 988 |
| Flight Deck (Base Spec) | Garmin G500H | Helionix | Garmin G1000H NXI | Bell BasiX-Pro | Garmin G1000H | EFIS | Garmin G1000H | EFIS | EFIS | Gyro / Analog | Garmin G500H |
| Max Cruise Speed (ktas) | 136 | 136 | 133 | 123 | 125 | 156 | 131 | 140 | 140 | 135 | 131 |
| Base Aircraft Price (USD) | $3,200,000 | $6,150,000 | $3,225,000 | $ 12,500,000 | $1,445,000 | $ 7,800,000 | $3,850,000 | $9,450,000 | $3,500,000 | $ 2,750,000 | $7,250,000 |
| Max Passengers | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 7 | — | — |
| Cabin | |||||||||||
| Cockpit | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Min Crew | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Total Seats | 6 | 9 | 6 | 14 | 5 | 8 | 8 | 12 | 8 | 4 | 8 |
| Max Cabin Seats | 5 | 7 | 5 | 13 | — | 6 | 6 | 10 | — | 3 | 6 |
| Standard Cabin Seats | 4 | 7 | 5 | 13 | 3 | 6 | 6 | 10 | 6 | 2 | 6 |
| Configuration | — | Green Interior | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Engine | |||||||||||
| FADEC | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Dual-Channel | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| Model | Arriel 2D | Arrius 2B2+ | M250-C47E/4 | PT6T-9 | Arrius 2R | PW207C | PT6B-37A | PW210A | HTS 900 | 250-C20B | PW207E |
| Fuel Type | JetFuel | JetFuel | JetFuel | JetFuel | JetFuel | JetFuel | JetFuel | JetFuel | JetFuel | JetFuel | JetFuel |
| TBO (hrs) | 5000 | 4000 | 3500 | 4000 | 4000 | 4000 | 4500 | 4000 | 5500 | 3500 | 4000 |
| Horsepower | 847 | 660 | 862 | 1370 | 505 | 735 | 917 | 1000 | 1020 | 420 | 710 |
| No. of Engines | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Fuel Capacity (gal) | 143 | — | 127.8 | 330.5 | 84.85 | 152 | 160 | — | — | 64 | 159 |
| Fuel Burn (gph) | — | — | 46 | 113 | 32.3 | — | — | — | — | 35 | 65 |
| Dimensions | |||||||||||
| Length (ft) | 42.5 | 33.5 | 41.4 | 52.1 | 42.48 | 42.5 | 42.5 | 48.1 | — | 30.9 | 40.6 |
| Overall Height (ft) | 10 | 12.6 | 10.2 | 11.5 | 10.65 | 11.5 | 11.9 | 14.8 | — | 8.7 | 12 |
| Rotor Diameter (ft) | 36.1 | 34 | 35 | 46 | 37 | 35.5 | 35.5 | — | — | 26.4 | 33.9 |
| Cabin Volume (cu. ft) | — | 173 | 125 | 220 | 137 | — | — | 222.5 | — | — | — |
| Width (ft) | — | — | 25.4 | 33 | 6.51 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Cabin Width (ft) | — | — | 5 | — | 4.66 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Cabin Height (ft) | — | — | 3.9 | — | 2.75 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Baggage Volume Ext. (cu. ft) | — | — | 16 | 28 | 18 | — | — | 49.5 | — | — | — |
| Cabin Length (ft) | — | — | — | — | 7.17 | — | — | — | — | — | — |