Airbus Helicopters H135 vs Bell 429wlg Globalranger vs Cessna Citation Longitude vs Embraer Phenom 300e vs Gulfstream G280 vs Leonardo Aw109 Grand New vs Pilatus Pc 24
The Airbus Helicopters H135 and Leonardo AW109 GrandNew are light twin helicopters suited to short-range missions; their practical range is a few hundred nautical miles and typical passenger loads are about five to seven, prioritizing access to tight landing sites over speed and distance. The Bell 429WLG GlobalRanger is also a light twin but generally offers a larger cabin and higher useful payload than many peers, commonly seating six to eight with similar “hundreds of miles” range. The Pilatus PC-24 is a light jet positioned between business jets and utility aircraft: it carries roughly six to eight passengers in typical executive layouts, flies on the order of 2,000 nautical miles, and is notable for operating from shorter or semi-prepared runways. The Embraer Phenom 300E is a very light/light jet optimized for speed and efficiency, usually seating six to nine, with range in the roughly 2,000-nautical-mile class. The Cessna Citation Longitude is a super-midsize jet carrying about eight to twelve over roughly 3,000+ nautical miles. The Gulfstream G280 is also super-midsize, typically eight to ten passengers, with a similar or slightly longer roughly 3,500-nautical-mile range.
| Spec | AIRBUS H135 | Bell 429WLG GlobalRanger | Cessna Citation Longitude | Embraer Phenom 300E | Gulfstream G280 | AGUSTA / LEONARDO AW109 Grand New | Pilatus PC-24 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Summary | |||||||
| Cockpit | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| DOC / nm | $ 6.33 | $ 6.05 | $ 5.23 | $ 3.88 | $ 6.57 | $ 7.31 | $ 3.71 |
| Min Crew | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| Total Seats | 9 | 8 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 8 | 6 |
| Flight Rules | IFR | IFR | — | — | — | VFR | — |
| Manufacturer | Airbus Helicopters | Bell | Cessna Citation | Embraer | Gulfstream | Leonardo | Pilatus |
| Aircraft Name | H135 | 429WLG GlobalRanger | Longitude | Phenom 300E | G280 | AW109 Grand New | PC-24 |
| Certification | FAA / EASA | FAA / EASA | FAA Certified | FAA / EASA | FAA / EASA | FAA / EASA | FAA / EASA |
| Max Range (nm) | 342 | 381 | 3500 | 2,010 | 3600 | 464 | 2076 |
| DOC / nm / Seat | $ 0.79 | $ 0.76 | $ 0.65 | $ 0.55 | $ 0.82 | $ 0.91 | $ 0.62 |
| Max Cabin Seats | 7 | 6 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 6 | 10 |
| OEM Verification | Un-Verified | VERIFIED | Un-Verified | VERIFIED | Un-Verified | Un-Verified | VERIFIED |
| Useful Load (lbs) | 3124 | 2528 | — | 6914 | 15550 | — | 6680 |
| Standard Cabin Seats | 7 | 6 | 8 | 6 | 8 | 6 | 6 |
| Direct Operating Cost | $ 861 | $ 931 | $ 2,500 | $ 1,758 | $ 3,168 | $ 1,140 | $ 1,619 |
| Flight Deck (Base Spec) | Helionix | Bell BasiX-Pro | Garmin G5000 | Prodigy Touch (G3000) | Gulfstream PlaneView (Pro Line Fusion) | EFIS | Pilatus ACE (Primus Apex) |
| Max Cruise Speed (ktas) | 136 | 154 | 481 | 464 | 481 | 156 | 440 |
| Base Aircraft Price (USD) | $6,150,000 | $7,700,000 | $29,965,000 | $9,650,000 | $24,900,000 | $ 7,800,000 | $11,800,000 |
| Cabin | |||||||
| Cockpit | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Min Crew | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| Total Seats | 9 | 8 | 10 | 9 | 10 | 8 | 6 |
| Configuration | Green Interior | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Max Cabin Seats | 7 | 6 | 12 | 9 | 10 | 6 | 10 |
| Standard Cabin Seats | 7 | 6 | 8 | 7 | 8 | 6 | 6 |
| Lavatory | — | — | 1 Enclosed Belted Flushing | 1 Enclosed Flushing | 1 Enclosed Belted Flushing | — | 1 Enclosed Flushing |
| Crew Rest | — | — | No | No | No | — | No |
| Jump Seat | — | — | No | No | No | — | No |
| Galley Location | — | — | FWD | FWD | FWD | — | FWD |
| Lavatory Location | — | — | AFT | AFT | AFT | — | FWD |
| Cabin Pressure (psi) | — | — | 9.7 | 9.4 | 9.2 | — | 9.3 |
| Galley / Refreshment | — | — | Galley | Galley | Galley | — | Optional Refreshment Center |
| SL Cabin Altitude (ft) | — | — | 25400 | 25560 | 25000 | — | 23500 |
| Max Cabin Altitude (ft) | — | — | — | — | 5800 | — | — |
| Cargo Door | — | — | — | — | — | — | Yes |
| Engine | |||||||
| FADEC | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Model | Arrius 2B2+ | PW207D1 | HTF7700L | Canada PW535E1 | HTF7250G | PW207C | FJ44-4A-QPM |
| Fuel Type | JetFuel | JetFuel | — | — | — | JetFuel | — |
| TBO (hrs) | 4000 | 4000 | On-Condition | 5000 | On-Condition | 4000 | 5000 |
| Horsepower | 660 | 1100 | — | — | — | 735 | — |
| No. of Engines | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Fuel Burn (gph) | — | 76 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Fuel Capacity (gal) | — | 216.9 | — | — | — | 152 | — |
| Flat Rating | — | — | ISA + 19 | ISA + 15 | ISA + 17 | — | ISA + 23 |
| Thrust (lbs) | — | — | 7665 | 3360 | 7624 | — | 3435 |
| Fuel Burn (lbph) | — | — | 1478 | 757 | — | — | — |
| Dimensions | |||||||
| Length (ft) | 33.5 | 43 | 73.2 | 51.2 | 66.9 | 42.5 | 52.2 |
| Overall Height (ft) | 12.6 | 12.39 | 19.4 | 16.75 | 21.4 | 11.5 | 17.4 |
| Rotor Diameter (ft) | 34 | 36 | — | — | — | 35.5 | — |
| Cabin Volume (cu. ft) | 173 | 130 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Width (ft) | — | 26.37 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Cabin Width (ft) | — | 5 | 6.4 | 5.1 | 6.9 | — | 5.6 |
| Cabin Height (ft) | — | 4 | 6 | 4.9 | 6.3 | — | 5.1 |
| Cabin Length (ft) | — | 6.58 | 25.2 | 17.2 | 25.9 | — | 23 |
| Baggage Volume Ext. (cu. ft) | — | 74 | — | 74 | — | — | — |
| Wingspan (ft) | — | — | 68.9 | 52.16 | 63 | — | 55.8 |
| Aisle Step (ft) | — | — | Flat Floor | 0.3 | 0.3 | — | Flat Floor |
| Cabin Width - Floor (ft) | — | — | 4.1 | 3.6 | 5.4 | — | 3.8 |
| Cabin Length - Seating (ft) | — | — | 16.5 | 14.8 | 17.7 | — | 17 |
| Baggage Volume Int. (cu. ft) | — | — | 112 | 10 | 154 | — | 90 |