Airbus Helicopters H135 vs Bell 412epi vs Bell 429 Globalranger vs Bell 429wlg Globalranger vs Bell 525 Relentless vs Leonardo Aw109 Grand New vs Leonardo Aw109 Trekker vs Leonardo Aw119kx vs Leonardo Aw139 vs Leonardo Aw169 vs Leonardo Aw189 vs Md Helicopters Md 902 Exlplorer
By category, the Airbus H135 and MD 902 Explorer are light twin helicopters typically used for EMS, police, and short‑haul corporate work. The Leonardo AW109 Grand New and AW109 Trekker and the Bell 429 GlobalRanger (including the 429WLG variant) sit in the light twin/IFR utility class, generally offering more speed and cabin flexibility than H135/MD902, with the 429WLG differing mainly in landing‑gear configuration rather than mission class. The Leonardo AW119Kx is a light single, favored where lower operating cost and hot‑and‑high performance matter, but it trades redundancy for simplicity. The Bell 412EPi is a medium twin utility aircraft optimized for lifting and multi‑role work. The Leonardo AW139 and AW169 span the intermediate/medium twin segment, with AW169 generally smaller and the AW139 more payload/cabin‑oriented. The Leonardo AW189 and Bell 525 Relentless are super‑medium twins aimed at offshore and long‑range transport. Range generally increases from light singles and light twins (AW119Kx, H135, MD902, AW109/429) to medium/intermediate types (412EPi, AW169, AW139) and peaks with super‑medium models (AW189, Bell 525). Passenger capacity follows a similar progression: roughly 5–7 for light singles/light twins, about 10–13 for medium/intermediate, and approximately 16–19 for super‑medium designs, depending on interior and mission fit.
| Spec | AIRBUS H135 | Bell 412EPi | Bell 429 GlobalRanger | Bell 429WLG GlobalRanger | Bell 525 Relentless | AGUSTA / LEONARDO AW109 Grand New | AGUSTA / LEONARDO AW109 Trekker | AGUSTA / LEONARDO AW119Kx | AGUSTA / LEONARDO AW139 | AGUSTA / LEONARDO AW169 | AGUSTA / LEONARDO AW189 | MD Helicopters MD 902 Exlplorer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Summary | ||||||||||||
| Cockpit | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| DOC / nm | $ 6.33 | $ 12.09 | $ 6.29 | $ 6.05 | — | $ 7.31 | $ 7.40 | $ 6.76 | $ 11.69 | $ 11.84 | $ 15.57 | $ 7.54 |
| Min Crew | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Total Seats | 9 | 14 | 8 | 8 | 18 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 17 | 12 | 21 | 8 |
| Flight Rules | IFR | IFR | IFR | IFR | IFR | VFR | VFR | VFR | IFR | IFR | IFR | VFR |
| Manufacturer | Airbus Helicopters | Bell | Bell | Bell | Bell | Leonardo | Leonardo | Leonardo | Leonardo | Leonardo | Leonardo | MD Helicotpers |
| Aircraft Name | H135 | 412EPi | 429 GlobalRanger | 429WLG GlobalRanger | 525 Relentless | AW109 Grand New | AW109 Trekker | AW119Kx | AW139 | AW169 | AW189 | MD 902 Exlplorer |
| 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 |
| Max Range (nm) | 342 | 361 | 365 | 381 | 580 | 464 | 450 | 515 | 573 | 440 | 651 | 317 |
| DOC / nm / Seat | $ 0.79 | $ 0.86 | $ 0.79 | $ 0.76 | — | $ 0.91 | $ 0.93 | $ 0.84 | $ 0.69 | $ 0.99 | $ 0.74 | $ 0.94 |
| Max Cabin Seats | 7 | 13 | 6 | 6 | 16 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 15 | 10 | 19 | 6 |
| OEM Verification | Un-Verified | VERIFIED | VERIFIED | VERIFIED | VERIFIED | Un-Verified | Un-Verified | Un-Verified | Un-Verified | Un-Verified | Un-Verified | Un-Verified |
| Useful Load (lbs) | 3124 | 4829 | 2535 | 2528 | 6675 | — | — | — | 4701 | — | — | 3125 |
| Standard Cabin Seats | 7 | 13 | 6 | 6 | 16 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 15 | 10 | 19 | 6 |
| Direct Operating Cost | $ 861 | $ 1,487 | $ 931 | $ 931 | — | $ 1,140 | $ 1,125 | $ 885 | $ 1,929 | $ 1,658 | $ 2,413 | $ 988 |
| Flight Deck (Base Spec) | Helionix | Bell BasiX-Pro | Bell BasiX-Pro | Bell BasiX-Pro | Garmin G5000H | EFIS | Genesys Aerosystems | Garmin G1000H | EFIS | EFIS | EFIS | Garmin G500H |
| Max Cruise Speed (ktas) | 136 | 123 | 148 | 154 | 160 | 156 | 152 | 131 | 165 | 140 | 155 | 131 |
| Base Aircraft Price (USD) | $6,150,000 | $ 12,500,000 | $7,500,000 | $7,700,000 | $15,000,000 | $ 7,800,000 | $6,950,000 | $3,850,000 | $15,900,000 | $9,450,000 | $2,413,000 | $7,250,000 |
| Cabin | ||||||||||||
| Cockpit | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Min Crew | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Total Seats | 9 | 14 | 8 | 8 | 18 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 17 | 12 | 21 | 8 |
| Configuration | Green Interior | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Max Cabin Seats | 7 | 13 | 6 | 6 | 16 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 15 | 10 | 19 | 6 |
| Standard Cabin Seats | 7 | 13 | 6 | 6 | 16 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 15 | 10 | 19 | 6 |
| Engine | ||||||||||||
| FADEC | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Dual-Channel | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Model | Arrius 2B2+ | PT6T-9 | PW207D1 | PW207D1 | CT7-2F1 | PW207C | PW207C | PT6B-37A | PT6C-67C | PW210A | CT7-2E1 | PW207E |
| Fuel Type | JetFuel | JetFuel | JetFuel | JetFuel | JetFuel | JetFuel | JetFuel | JetFuel | JetFuel | JetFuel | JetFuel | JetFuel |
| TBO (hrs) | 4000 | 4000 | 4000 | 4000 | 4000 | 4000 | 4000 | 4500 | 5000 | 4000 | 4000 | 4000 |
| Horsepower | 660 | 1370 | 1100 | 1100 | 1800 | 735 | 735 | 917 | 1679 | 1000 | 1983 | 710 |
| No. of Engines | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Fuel Burn (gph) | — | 113 | 76 | 76 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 65 |
| Fuel Capacity (gal) | — | 330.5 | 216.9 | 216.9 | 641 | 152 | 152 | 160 | 414 | — | — | 159 |
| Dimensions | ||||||||||||
| Length (ft) | 33.5 | 52.1 | 43 | 43 | 61.58 | 42.5 | 42.5 | 42.5 | 54.7 | 48.1 | 57.8 | 40.6 |
| Overall Height (ft) | 12.6 | 11.5 | 13.25 | 12.39 | 18.18 | 11.5 | 11.5 | 11.9 | 16.4 | 14.8 | 16.6 | 12 |
| Rotor Diameter (ft) | 34 | 46 | 36 | 36 | 54.5 | 35.5 | 35.5 | 35.5 | 54.7 | — | 48 | 33.9 |
| Cabin Volume (cu. ft) | 173 | 220 | 130 | 130 | — | — | — | — | 282 | 222.5 | 395 | — |
| Width (ft) | — | 33 | 26.37 | 26.37 | 25.77 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Baggage Volume Ext. (cu. ft) | — | 28 | 74 | 74 | 128 | — | — | — | 120 | 49.5 | 85 | — |
| Cabin Width (ft) | — | — | 5 | 5 | 7.58 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Cabin Height (ft) | — | — | 4 | 4 | 4.5 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Cabin Length (ft) | — | — | 6.58 | 6.58 | 15.5 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |