Bell 407gxi vs Leonardo Aw169 vs Leonardo Aw189 vs Leonardo Sh09 vs Md Helicopters Md 500e vs Md Helicopters Md 902 Exlplorer vs Robinson Helicopters R66 vs Sikorsky S 76d
The Bell 407GXi, MD 500E, and Robinson R66 are light single‑engine helicopters best suited to short‑to‑medium missions; they typically carry about four to six passengers (plus pilot) and offer moderate range, generally a few hundred nautical miles depending on fit and reserves. The MD 902 Explorer is a light twin‑engine aircraft with similar cabin class to the 407/R66 but improved redundancy; it usually seats roughly five to seven passengers and offers comparable medium range. The Leonardo AW169 sits in the light‑intermediate twin category, carrying about six to eight passengers with a notably longer, more flexible range profile than light singles. The Sikorsky S‑76D is a medium twin optimized for executive/utility work, commonly configured for eight to twelve passengers with solid medium range. The Leonardo AW189 is a super‑medium twin designed for offshore and high‑payload missions, typically carrying around twelve to eighteen passengers and offering long range. The Leonardo SH09 is an unreleased concept and has no finalized, comparable certified range or capacity figures.
| Spec | Bell 407GXi | AGUSTA / LEONARDO AW169 | AGUSTA / LEONARDO AW189 | AGUSTA / LEONARDO SH09 | MD Helicopters MD 500E | MD Helicopters MD 902 Exlplorer | ROBINSON R66 | Sikorsky S-76D |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Summary | ||||||||
| Cockpit | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| DOC / nm | $ 4.43 | $ 11.84 | $ 15.57 | $4.48 | $ 2.95 | $ 7.54 | $ 3.49 | $ 11.49 |
| Min Crew | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Total Seats | 6 | 12 | 21 | 8 | 4 | 8 | 5 | 12 |
| Flight Rules | VFR | IFR | IFR | VFR | VFR | VFR | VFR | IFR |
| Manufacturer | Bell | Leonardo | Leonardo | Leonardo | MD Helicotpers | MD Helicotpers | Robinson Helicopters | Sikorsky |
| Aircraft Name | 407GXi | AW169 | AW189 | SH09 | MD 500E | MD 902 Exlplorer | R66 | S-76D |
| Certification | FAA / EASA | FAA / EASA | FAA / EASA | In-Development | FAA / EASA | FAA / EASA | FAA / EASA | FAA / EASA |
| Max Range (nm) | 337 | 440 | 651 | 430 | 258 | 317 | 350 | 441 |
| DOC / nm / Seat | $ 0.74 | $ 0.99 | $ 0.74 | $0.56 | $ 0.74 | $ 0.94 | $ 0.70 | $ 0.96 |
| Max Cabin Seats | 5 | 10 | 19 | 6 | 3 | 6 | — | 10 |
| OEM Verification | VERIFIED | Un-Verified | Un-Verified | Un-Verified | Un-Verified | Un-Verified | Un-Verified | Un-Verified |
| Useful Load (lbs) | 2300 | — | — | — | 1483 | 3125 | 1355 | — |
| Standard Cabin Seats | 5 | 10 | 19 | 6 | 2 | 6 | 3 | 10 |
| Direct Operating Cost | $ 589 | $ 1,658 | $ 2,413 | $627 | $ 398 | $ 988 | $ 384 | $ 1,781 |
| Flight Deck (Base Spec) | Garmin G1000H NXI | EFIS | EFIS | EFIS | Gyro / Analog | Garmin G500H | Gyro / Analog | Thales TopDeck |
| Max Cruise Speed (ktas) | 133 | 140 | 155 | 140 | 135 | 131 | 110 | 155 |
| Base Aircraft Price (USD) | $3,225,000 | $9,450,000 | $2,413,000 | $3,500,000 | $ 2,750,000 | $7,250,000 | $ 920,000 | $14,900,000 |
| Max Passengers | — | — | — | 7 | — | — | — | — |
| Cabin | ||||||||
| Cockpit | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Min Crew | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Total Seats | 6 | 12 | 21 | 8 | 4 | 8 | 5 | 12 |
| Max Cabin Seats | 5 | 10 | 19 | — | 3 | 6 | — | 10 |
| Standard Cabin Seats | 5 | 10 | 19 | 6 | 2 | 6 | 3 | 10 |
| Engine | ||||||||
| FADEC | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | Yes |
| Model | M250-C47E/4 | PW210A | CT7-2E1 | HTS 900 | 250-C20B | PW207E | RR300 | PW210S |
| Fuel Type | JetFuel | JetFuel | JetFuel | JetFuel | JetFuel | JetFuel | JetFuel | JetFuel |
| TBO (hrs) | 3500 | 4000 | 4000 | 5500 | 3500 | 4000 | 2000 | 4000 |
| Horsepower | 862 | 1000 | 1983 | 1020 | 420 | 710 | 300 | 1077 |
| No. of Engines | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| Fuel Burn (gph) | 46 | — | — | — | 35 | 65 | — | — |
| Fuel Capacity (gal) | 127.8 | — | — | — | 64 | 159 | 73.6 | 296 |
| Dimensions | ||||||||
| Width (ft) | 25.4 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Length (ft) | 41.4 | 48.1 | 57.8 | — | 30.9 | 40.6 | 38.3 | 52.5 |
| Cabin Width (ft) | 5 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Cabin Height (ft) | 3.9 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Overall Height (ft) | 10.2 | 14.8 | 16.6 | — | 8.7 | 12 | 11.4 | 14.5 |
| Rotor Diameter (ft) | 35 | — | 48 | — | 26.4 | 33.9 | 33 | 44 |
| Cabin Volume (cu. ft) | 125 | 222.5 | 395 | — | — | — | 50 | — |
| Baggage Volume Ext. (cu. ft) | 16 | 49.5 | 85 | — | — | — | 18 | — |