Beechcraft King Air 360 Er vs Bell 525 Relentless vs Enstrom 480b vs Leonardo Aw189
The Beechcraft King Air 360ER is a twin‑turboprop fixed‑wing aircraft aimed at efficient regional transport. It offers the longest practical range of the four (roughly around 1,000+ nautical miles depending on payload and reserves) and typically carries about 6–9 passengers in an executive layout, making it best suited to longer point‑to‑point trips between airports. The Bell 525 Relentless is a super‑medium twin helicopter designed for higher-speed rotorcraft missions such as offshore and corporate shuttle. Its range is generally in the several-hundred‑nautical‑mile class (often roughly 500–600 nm, mission dependent) with a typical passenger load around the mid‑teens in high‑density seating, or fewer in VIP. The Enstrom 480B is a light single‑engine helicopter optimized for utility, patrol, and training. It has the shortest range (commonly a few hundred nautical miles) and usually carries 4–5 people including the pilot. The Leonardo AW189 is a larger twin helicopter (super‑medium) focused on offshore and SAR/utility roles. Its range is broadly comparable to, or sometimes greater than, the Bell 525 depending on configuration (often around 450–600+ nm), and it typically seats about 16–19 passengers in transport layouts.
| Spec | Bell 525 Relentless | AGUSTA / LEONARDO AW189 |
|---|---|---|
| Summary | ||
| Cockpit | 2 | 2 |
| Min Crew | 2 | 1 |
| Total Seats | 18 | 21 |
| Flight Rules | IFR | IFR |
| Manufacturer | Bell | Leonardo |
| Aircraft Name | 525 Relentless | AW189 |
| Certification | FAA / EASA | FAA / EASA |
| Max Range (nm) | 580 | 651 |
| Max Cabin Seats | 16 | 19 |
| OEM Verification | VERIFIED | Un-Verified |
| Useful Load (lbs) | 6675 | — |
| Standard Cabin Seats | 16 | 19 |
| Flight Deck (Base Spec) | Garmin G5000H | EFIS |
| Max Cruise Speed (ktas) | 160 | 155 |
| Base Aircraft Price (USD) | $15,000,000 | $2,413,000 |
| DOC / nm | — | $ 15.57 |
| DOC / nm / Seat | — | $ 0.74 |
| Direct Operating Cost | — | $ 2,413 |
| Cabin | ||
| Cockpit | 2 | 2 |
| Min Crew | 2 | 1 |
| Total Seats | 18 | 21 |
| Max Cabin Seats | 16 | 19 |
| Standard Cabin Seats | 16 | 19 |
| Engine | ||
| FADEC | Dual-Channel | Yes |
| Model | CT7-2F1 | CT7-2E1 |
| Fuel Type | JetFuel | JetFuel |
| TBO (hrs) | 4000 | 4000 |
| Horsepower | 1800 | 1983 |
| No. of Engines | 2 | 2 |
| Fuel Capacity (gal) | 641 | — |
| Dimensions | ||
| Width (ft) | 25.77 | — |
| Length (ft) | 61.58 | 57.8 |
| Cabin Width (ft) | 7.58 | — |
| Cabin Height (ft) | 4.5 | — |
| Cabin Length (ft) | 15.5 | — |
| Overall Height (ft) | 18.18 | 16.6 |
| Rotor Diameter (ft) | 54.5 | 48 |
| Baggage Volume Ext. (cu. ft) | 128 | 85 |
| Cabin Volume (cu. ft) | — | 395 |