The two-seat R22 Beta II against the four-seat R44 Raven II, the most common decision in piston-helicopter ownership.
The R22 is a focused trainer and solo local helicopter, not a smaller substitute for the R44. Its low entry cost works only when occupants fit its strict weight and payload envelope and the remaining component life supports the planned hours. The R44 turns ownership into practical transport with passenger seats, more load and better travel performance, but it also raises fuel, insurance and overhaul exposure. A school can keep the R22 busy enough to justify its narrow mission. A private owner expecting to carry even one passenger regularly should price the Robinson step up from the beginning rather than repeatedly discovering that the cheaper aircraft cannot make the trip.
The table below uses the same versioned PlaneFit dataset as the Finder. Prices and operating costs are planning estimates, not quotations.
| Decision factor | Robinson R22 Beta IIView aircraft profile | Robinson R44 Raven IIView aircraft profile |
|---|---|---|
| Typical market year | 2026 | 2026 |
| Estimated purchase | €328k | €564k |
| Annual cash cost at 80 h | €32k | €48k |
| Five-year cash outlay | €487k | €805k |
| Cruise speed | 96 kt | 109 kt |
| Advertised range | 250 nm | 350 nm |
| Seats | 2 | 4 |
| Realistic payload | 169 kg | 349 kg |
| Runway need | Vertical | Vertical |
| Landing gear | Skids | Skids |
| Ratings and endorsements | Rotorcraft-helicopter rating | Rotorcraft-helicopter rating |
| Data confidence | Normalized for direct comparison | Normalized for direct comparison |
| Main trade-off | The lowest-cost certified helicopter entry point, but payload, wind tolerance and overhaul economics are restrictive. | Better hot-and-high capability than the Raven I, but overhaul status remains more important than calendar age alone. |
A factual first pass. Mission, condition and configuration can outweigh a brochure advantage.
They do not cross. The Robinson R22 Beta II is the cheaper of the two at every utilisation from zero to 300 hours a year, on purchase and running cost together, so there is no break-even point to find. That is worth knowing plainly: on cost alone this is not a trade-off, and the case for the other aircraft has to be made on mission, cabin, speed or access rather than on eventual savings.
| Five-year cash, including purchase | Robinson R22 Beta II | Robinson R44 Raven II | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| 40 h / year | $481k (€445k) | $796k (€737k) | $315k (€292k) to Robinson R22 Beta II |
| 100 h / year | $549k (€508k) | $906k (€839k) | $357k (€331k) to Robinson R22 Beta II |
| 200 h / year | $662k (€613k) | $1.09m (€1.01m) | $428k (€396k) to Robinson R22 Beta II |
The gap widens as utilisation rises, which is the part a headline price comparison hides. Every figure uses the same planning model as the rest of the site: indicative market prices, a fixed annual base and a direct hourly cost, before financing, depreciation and tax.
Advertised range is a still-air, best-case number. With 2 people aboard and realistic reserves, plan on about 180 nm from the Robinson R22 Beta II against 252 nm from the Robinson R44 Raven II. On a return trip without refuelling, that is the radius that decides which destinations are on the list at all.
Nothing separates them here. Both require a rotorcraft-helicopter rating, so a pilot qualified for one is qualified for the other.
Two-seat piston training and personal helicopter. Its central ownership trade-off is: The lowest-cost certified helicopter entry point, but payload, wind tolerance and overhaul economics are restrictive.
Planning snapshot: $354k (€328k) indicative price and $34k (€32k) annual cash cost at 80 hours.
Read the full aircraft profileFuel-injected four-seat piston helicopter. Its central ownership trade-off is: Better hot-and-high capability than the Raven I, but overhaul status remains more important than calendar age alone.
Planning snapshot: $609k (€564k) indicative price and $52k (€48k) annual cash cost at 80 hours.
Read the full aircraft profile