AIR.ONE

Airbus Helicopters H130 vs Bell 505 Jetranger X vs Md Helicopters Md 500e vs Md Helicopters Md 530f vs Robinson Helicopters R44 Raven Ii

All five are light, single‑engine civil helicopters, but they span different niches. The Airbus H130 sits at the top end of this group as a light single aimed at passenger comfort and sightseeing; it typically offers the greatest cabin volume and the highest passenger capacity, commonly seating a pilot plus up to six passengers, and it generally provides the longest practical range of the group. The Bell 505 JetRanger X is also a light single, positioned as a modern, versatile utility/training platform; it usually carries a pilot plus four passengers and delivers a mid‑to‑upper range figure comparable to other contemporary light singles. MD’s 500E and 530F are light, high‑performance utility helicopters with smaller cabins; they commonly seat a pilot plus four passengers, with ranges that are competitive but often more mission‑dependent, while the 530F is optimized for hot‑and‑high operations rather than maximum cabin space. The Robinson R44 Raven II is a light piston helicopter primarily used for training and personal/utility flying; it typically carries a pilot plus three passengers and offers solid but generally shorter range than the turbine H130 and often the 505.

SpecAIRBUS H130Bell 505 JetRanger XMD Helicopters MD 500EMD Helicopters MD 530FROBINSON R44 Raven II
Summary
Cockpit3222
DOC / nm$ 5.00$ 3.53$ 2.95$ 3.59$ 2.36
Min Crew1111
Total Seats75444
Flight RulesVFRVFRVFRVFRVFR
ManufacturerAirbus HelicoptersBellMD HelicotpersMD HelicotpersRobinson Helicopters
Aircraft NameH130505 JetRanger XMD 500EMD 530FR44 Raven II
CertificationFAA / EASAFAA / EASAFAA / EASAFAA / EASAFAA / EASA
Max Range (nm)333306258216300
DOC / nm / Seat$ 0.71$ 0.71$ 0.74$ 0.90$ 0.59
Max Cabin Seats533
OEM VerificationUn-VerifiedVERIFIEDUn-VerifiedUn-VerifiedUn-Verified
Useful Load (lbs)2299150014831509995
Standard Cabin Seats4322
Direct Operating Cost$ 640$ 441$ 398$ 480$ 257
Flight Deck (Base Spec)Garmin G500HGarmin G1000HGyro / AnalogGarmin G500HGyro / Analog
Max Cruise Speed (ktas)128125135134109
Base Aircraft Price (USD)$3,450,000$1,445,000$ 2,750,000$ 3,400,000$ 490,000
Cabin
Cockpit3222
Min Crew1111
Total Seats75444
Max Cabin Seats533
Standard Cabin Seats4322
Engine
FADECYesDual-ChannelNoNoNo
ModelArriel 2DArrius 2R250-C20B250-C30IO-540
Fuel TypeJetFuelJetFuelJetFuelJetFuelAvGas
TBO (hrs)50004000350020002200
Horsepower952505420650245
No. of Engines11111
Fuel Capacity (gal)14384.85646429.5
Fuel Burn (gph)32.33535
TBO (yrs)12
Fuel DeliveryFuel Injected
Dimensions
Length (ft)41.542.4830.932.238.3
Overall Height (ft)11.110.658.78.710.8
Rotor Diameter (ft)35.13726.427.533
Width (ft)6.51
Cabin Width (ft)4.66
Cabin Height (ft)2.75
Cabin Length (ft)7.17
Cabin Volume (cu. ft)137
Baggage Volume Ext. (cu. ft)18
Baggage Volume Int. (cu. ft)2.5