AIR.ONE

Airbus Helicopters H125 vs Airbus Helicopters H135 vs Enstrom Helicopter 280fx Shark vs Leonardo Aw109 Grand New vs Robinson Helicopters R44 Raven Ii

All five are light helicopters but sit in different niches. The Airbus H125 is a light single-engine utility helicopter, typically carrying one pilot plus up to five passengers; it’s optimized for lifting and hot-and-high work, with a practical range commonly in the mid–300 nautical mile class depending on tanks and payload. The Airbus H135 is a light twin-engine helicopter aimed at EMS, corporate, and training roles; it generally seats one or two pilots plus about five to six passengers, and offers a similar order-of-magnitude range (roughly 300+ nautical miles) with twin-engine redundancy. The Enstrom 280FX Shark is a piston-powered light single, usually configured for a pilot plus two to three passengers, with shorter typical range (around 200 nautical miles). The Leonardo AW109 Grand New is a light twin in the “premium” segment, often seating one or two pilots plus six to seven passengers and commonly offering longer legs (often around 400+ nautical miles, mission dependent). The Robinson R44 Raven II is a piston light single used heavily for training and private travel, carrying a pilot plus three passengers with typical range around the low–300 nautical mile range.

SpecAIRBUS H125AIRBUS H135Enstrom Helicopter 280FX SharkAGUSTA / LEONARDO AW109 Grand NewROBINSON R44 Raven II
Summary
Cockpit222
DOC / nm$ 4.61$ 6.33$ 1.98$ 7.31$ 2.36
Min Crew111
Total Seats69384
Flight RulesVFRIFRVFRVFRVFR
ManufacturerAirbus HelicoptersAirbus HelicoptersEnstrom HelicopterLeonardoRobinson Helicopters
Aircraft NameH125H135280FX SharkAW109 Grand NewR44 Raven II
CertificationFAA / EASAFAA / EASAFAA / EASAFAA / EASAFAA / EASA
Max Range (nm)341342229464300
DOC / nm / Seat$ 0.77$ 0.79$ 0.66$ 0.91$ 0.59
Max Cabin Seats576
OEM VerificationVERIFIEDUn-VerifiedUn-VerifiedUn-VerifiedUn-Verified
Useful Load (lbs)21893124930995
Standard Cabin Seats476
Direct Operating Cost$ 627$ 861$ 198$ 1,140$ 257
Flight Deck (Base Spec)Garmin G500HHelionixGyro / AnalogEFISGyro / Analog
Max Cruise Speed (ktas)136136100156109
Base Aircraft Price (USD)$3,200,000$6,150,000$ 560,000$ 7,800,000$ 490,000
Cabin
Cockpit222
Min Crew111
Total Seats69384
Max Cabin Seats576
Standard Cabin Seats476
ConfigurationGreen Interior
Engine
FADECYesYesNoYesNo
ModelArriel 2DArrius 2B2+HI0-360-F1ADPW207CIO-540
Fuel TypeJetFuelJetFuelAvGasJetFuelAvGas
TBO (hrs)50004000150040002200
Horsepower847660225735245
No. of Engines12121
Fuel Capacity (gal)1434015229.5
TBO (yrs)1212
Fuel DeliveryFuel InjectedFuel Injected
Dimensions
Length (ft)42.533.529.342.538.3
Overall Height (ft)1012.6911.510.8
Rotor Diameter (ft)36.1343235.533
Cabin Volume (cu. ft)173
Baggage Volume Ext. (cu. ft)6
Baggage Volume Int. (cu. ft)2.5