Airbus Helicopters H145 vs Airbus Helicopters H155 vs Airbus Helicopters H160 vs Bell 429 Globalranger vs Bell 429wlg Globalranger vs Leonardo Aw109 Grand New vs Leonardo Aw109 Trekker vs Leonardo Aw169 vs Leonardo Sh09 vs Md Helicopters Md 902 Exlplorer vs Sikorsky S 76d
The H145, Bell 429/429WLG, AW109 Grand New/AW109 Trekker, MD 902, and SH09 sit in the light twin category, while the H155, AW169, S‑76D, and H160 are medium twins. In range, the light twins generally cluster in the roughly 350–450 nm class depending on fit, with the H145 and Bell 429 typically in the middle of that band, the AW109 variants often similar or slightly higher, and the MD 902 usually toward the lower-to-mid end. The SH09 is positioned as a modern light twin with a broadly comparable mission radius. Moving up, the H155 and AW169 usually offer longer legs, commonly around 450–500+ nm, with the S‑76D in a similar bracket. The H160 is typically at the top end of this set for range, often cited around the 500–600 nm class. For passenger capacity, light twins commonly seat about 6–8 passengers, while the medium twins generally seat about 8–12, with the AW169 and H160 often configured toward the higher end and the S‑76D and H155 typically in the mid-to-upper range.
| Spec | AIRBUS H145 | AIRBUS H155 | AIRBUS H160 | Bell 429 GlobalRanger | Bell 429WLG GlobalRanger | AGUSTA / LEONARDO AW109 Grand New | AGUSTA / LEONARDO AW109 Trekker | AGUSTA / LEONARDO AW169 | AGUSTA / LEONARDO SH09 | MD Helicopters MD 902 Exlplorer | Sikorsky S-76D |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Summary | |||||||||||
| Cockpit | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| DOC / nm | $ 9.31 | $ 11.06 | — | $ 6.29 | $ 6.05 | $ 7.31 | $ 7.40 | $ 11.84 | $4.48 | $ 7.54 | $ 11.49 |
| Min Crew | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Total Seats | 10 | 14 | 14 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 12 | 8 | 8 | 12 |
| Flight Rules | IFR | IFR | IFR | IFR | IFR | VFR | VFR | IFR | VFR | VFR | IFR |
| Manufacturer | Airbus Helicopters | Airbus Helicopters | Airbus Helicopters | Bell | Bell | Leonardo | Leonardo | Leonardo | Leonardo | MD Helicotpers | Sikorsky |
| Aircraft Name | H145 | H155 | H160 | 429 GlobalRanger | 429WLG GlobalRanger | AW109 Grand New | AW109 Trekker | AW169 | SH09 | MD 902 Exlplorer | S-76D |
| 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) | 352 | 423 | 460 | 365 | 381 | 464 | 450 | 440 | 430 | 317 | 441 |
| DOC / nm / Seat | $ 0.93 | $ 0.74 | — | $ 0.79 | $ 0.76 | $ 0.91 | $ 0.93 | $ 0.99 | $0.56 | $ 0.94 | $ 0.96 |
| Max Cabin Seats | 9 | 12 | 12 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 10 | 6 | 6 | 10 |
| OEM Verification | Un-Verified | Un-Verified | Un-Verified | VERIFIED | VERIFIED | Un-Verified | Un-Verified | Un-Verified | Un-Verified | Un-Verified | Un-Verified |
| Useful Load (lbs) | 4200 | 4012 | 3992 | 2535 | 2528 | — | — | — | — | 3125 | — |
| Standard Cabin Seats | 8 | 12 | 12 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 10 | 6 | 6 | 10 |
| Direct Operating Cost | $ 1,210 | $ 1,593 | — | $ 931 | $ 931 | $ 1,140 | $ 1,125 | $ 1,658 | $627 | $ 988 | $ 1,781 |
| Flight Deck (Base Spec) | EFIS | EFIS | EFIS | Bell BasiX-Pro | Bell BasiX-Pro | EFIS | Genesys Aerosystems | EFIS | EFIS | Garmin G500H | Thales TopDeck |
| Max Cruise Speed (ktas) | 130 | 144 | 155 | 148 | 154 | 156 | 152 | 140 | 140 | 131 | 155 |
| Base Aircraft Price (USD) | $10,200,000 | $14,800,000 | $14,000,000 | $7,500,000 | $7,700,000 | $ 7,800,000 | $6,950,000 | $9,450,000 | $3,500,000 | $7,250,000 | $14,900,000 |
| Max Passengers | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 7 | — | — |
| Cabin | |||||||||||
| Cockpit | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Min Crew | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Total Seats | 10 | 14 | 14 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 12 | 8 | 8 | 12 |
| Configuration | Green Interior | Green Interior | Green Interior | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Max Cabin Seats | 9 | 12 | 12 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 10 | — | 6 | 10 |
| Standard Cabin Seats | 8 | 12 | 12 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 10 | 6 | 6 | 10 |
| Engine | |||||||||||
| FADEC | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes |
| Model | Arriel 2E | Arriel 2C2 | HE Arrano | PW207D1 | PW207D1 | PW207C | PW207C | PW210A | HTS 900 | PW207E | PW210S |
| Fuel Type | JetFuel | JetFuel | JetFuel | JetFuel | JetFuel | JetFuel | JetFuel | JetFuel | JetFuel | JetFuel | JetFuel |
| TBO (hrs) | 4000 | 4000 | 4000 | 4000 | 4000 | 4000 | 4000 | 4000 | 5500 | 4000 | 4000 |
| Horsepower | 894 | 943 | — | 1100 | 1100 | 735 | 735 | 1000 | 1020 | 710 | 1077 |
| No. of Engines | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| Fuel Capacity (gal) | — | 332 | — | 216.9 | 216.9 | 152 | 152 | — | — | 159 | 296 |
| Fuel Burn (gph) | — | — | — | 76 | 76 | — | — | — | — | 65 | — |
| Dimensions | |||||||||||
| Length (ft) | 44.8 | 46.9 | 39.4 | 43 | 43 | 42.5 | 42.5 | 48.1 | — | 40.6 | 52.5 |
| Overall Height (ft) | 13 | 14.3 | 13.1 | 13.25 | 12.39 | 11.5 | 11.5 | 14.8 | — | 12 | 14.5 |
| Rotor Diameter (ft) | 36.1 | 41.1 | 45.2 | 36 | 36 | 35.5 | 35.5 | — | — | 33.9 | 44 |
| Cabin Volume (cu. ft) | 166 | 235.2 | — | 130 | 130 | — | — | 222.5 | — | — | — |
| Baggage Volume Ext. (cu. ft) | 46.8 | 88.3 | — | 74 | 74 | — | — | 49.5 | — | — | — |
| Width (ft) | — | — | — | 26.37 | 26.37 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Cabin Width (ft) | — | — | — | 5 | 5 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Cabin Height (ft) | — | — | — | 4 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Cabin Length (ft) | — | — | — | 6.58 | 6.58 | — | — | — | — | — | — |