Bell 525 Relentless vs Leonardo Aw189 vs Md Helicopters (mcdonnell Douglas) 902 Explorer vs Piper M600 Sls

The Bell 525 Relentless and Leonardo AW189 are both large, twin‑engine, IFR-capable helicopters aimed at offshore, SAR, and corporate transport. In category, they sit above the MD 902 Explorer, which is a lighter twin helicopter optimized for utility, EMS, and urban operations with its NOTAR anti-torque system. The Piper M600 SLS is different entirely: a single‑engine turboprop fixed‑wing aircraft for personal and business travel, trading vertical-lift flexibility for higher cruise efficiency. On range, the fixed‑wing Piper M600 SLS generally offers the longest legs for point‑to‑point travel (roughly around 1,000+ nm class depending on reserves and conditions). The Bell 525 and AW189 typically offer mid-to-long helicopter ranges suitable for offshore sectors (commonly several hundred nautical miles, often in the ~400–500 nm class with typical configurations), while the MD 902 usually has the shortest range of this group (often a few hundred nautical miles, commonly ~300 nm class). For passenger capacity, Bell 525 and AW189 are highest, commonly configured around 16–19 seats. The MD 902 is typically around 7–8 seats. The Piper M600 SLS seats up to 6.