Bell 505 Jetranger X vs Md Helicopters Md 500e vs Piper Seminole vs Robinson Helicopters R22 Beta Ii vs Robinson Helicopters R44 Raven Ii vs Robinson Helicopters R66
The Bell 505 JetRanger X, MD Helicopters MD 500E, Robinson R22 Beta II, Robinson R44 Raven II, and Robinson R66 are all rotorcraft, while the Piper Arrow is a fixed‑wing, single‑engine piston airplane. In broad terms, the Piper Arrow typically offers the longest range among these, reflecting fixed‑wing efficiency, and it generally carries four people. Among the helicopters, the Robinson R22 Beta II is the smallest category here, usually configured for two occupants and comparatively shorter range. The Robinson R44 Raven II steps up to a four‑seat light piston helicopter with a moderate increase in range. The Bell 505 and MD 500E are light turbine helicopters; both commonly seat around five, with the 505 often emphasizing modern avionics and cabin usability, and the 500E emphasizing performance and agility, while their ranges are typically in a similar light‑turbine bracket. The Robinson R66 is a larger light turbine helicopter, typically seating five, and it commonly offers greater range and useful load than the piston Robinson models.
| Spec | Bell 505 JetRanger X | MD Helicopters MD 500E | Piper Arrow | ROBINSON R22 Beta II | ROBINSON R44 Raven II | ROBINSON R66 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Summary | ||||||
| Cockpit | 2 | 2 | 2 | — | — | 2 |
| DOC / nm | $ 3.53 | $ 2.95 | $ 1.36 | $ 1.80 | $ 2.36 | $ 3.49 |
| Min Crew | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | 1 |
| Total Seats | 5 | 4 | 6 | 2 | 4 | 5 |
| Flight Rules | VFR | VFR | IFR | VFR | VFR | VFR |
| Manufacturer | Bell | MD Helicotpers | Piper | Robinson Helicopters | Robinson Helicopters | Robinson Helicopters |
| Aircraft Name | 505 JetRanger X | MD 500E | Arrow | R22 Beta II | R44 Raven II | R66 |
| Certification | FAA / EASA | FAA / EASA | FAA / EASA | FAA / EASA | FAA / EASA | FAA / EASA |
| Max Range (nm) | 306 | 258 | 700 | 250 | 300 | 350 |
| DOC / nm / Seat | $ 0.71 | $ 0.74 | $ 0.23 | $ 0.90 | $ 0.59 | $ 0.70 |
| OEM Verification | VERIFIED | Un-Verified | Un-Verified | Un-Verified | Un-Verified | Un-Verified |
| Useful Load (lbs) | 1500 | 1483 | 1191 | 490 | 995 | 1355 |
| Standard Cabin Seats | 3 | 2 | 4 | — | — | 3 |
| Direct Operating Cost | $ 441 | $ 398 | $ 221 | $ 173 | $ 257 | $ 384 |
| Flight Deck (Base Spec) | Garmin G1000H | Gyro / Analog | Garmin G1000 NXi | Gyro / Analog | Gyro / Analog | Gyro / Analog |
| Max Cruise Speed (ktas) | 125 | 135 | 162 | 96 | 109 | 110 |
| Base Aircraft Price (USD) | $1,445,000 | $ 2,750,000 | $765,000 | $ 312,000 | $ 490,000 | $ 920,000 |
| Max Cabin Seats | — | 3 | — | — | — | — |
| Cabin | ||||||
| Cockpit | 2 | 2 | 2 | — | — | 2 |
| Min Crew | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | 1 |
| Total Seats | 5 | 4 | 6 | 2 | 4 | 5 |
| Standard Cabin Seats | 3 | 2 | 4 | — | — | 3 |
| Max Cabin Seats | — | 3 | — | — | — | — |
| Engine | ||||||
| FADEC | Dual-Channel | No | No | No | No | No |
| Model | Arrius 2R | 250-C20B | O-360-AIH6 | O-360 | IO-540 | RR300 |
| Fuel Type | JetFuel | JetFuel | AvGas | AvGas | AvGas | JetFuel |
| TBO (hrs) | 4000 | 3500 | 2000 | 2000 | 2200 | 2000 |
| Horsepower | 505 | 420 | 180 | 131 | 245 | 300 |
| No. of Engines | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Fuel Burn (gph) | 32.3 | 35 | — | — | — | — |
| Fuel Capacity (gal) | 84.85 | 64 | 108 | 115 | 29.5 | 73.6 |
| TBO (yrs) | — | — | 12 | 12 | 12 | — |
| Fuel Delivery | — | — | Carbureted | Carbureted | Fuel Injected | — |
| Dimensions | ||||||
| Width (ft) | 6.51 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Length (ft) | 42.48 | 30.9 | 27.6 | 28.5 | 38.3 | 38.3 |
| Cabin Width (ft) | 4.66 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Cabin Height (ft) | 2.75 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Cabin Length (ft) | 7.17 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Overall Height (ft) | 10.65 | 8.7 | 8.5 | 8.8 | 10.8 | 11.4 |
| Rotor Diameter (ft) | 37 | 26.4 | — | 25.2 | 33 | 33 |
| Cabin Volume (cu. ft) | 137 | — | — | — | — | 50 |
| Baggage Volume Ext. (cu. ft) | 18 | — | — | — | — | 18 |
| Wingspan (ft) | — | — | 38.6 | — | — | — |
| Baggage Volume Int. (cu. ft) | — | — | — | 1.5 | 2.5 | — |