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Purchase price is only one part of the decision. Figures are indicative estimates at the typical market year for each model.

Decision factorMD Helicopters MD 500ERView aircraft profileMD Helicopters MD 520NView aircraft profileEurocopter AS355 NPView aircraft profile
Typical market year201520102011
Estimated purchase€1.57m€873k€1.31m
Annual cash cost at 80 h€155k€129k€190k
Five-year cash outlay€2.35m€1.52m€2.26m
Cruise speed135 kt137 kt118 kt
Advertised range170 nm135 nm307 nm
Seats445
Realistic payload270 kg270 kg360 kg
Runway needVerticalVerticalVertical
Data confidencePreliminary, verify source data before decidingPreliminary, verify source data before decidingPreliminary, verify source data before deciding
Main trade-offThe MD 500ER combines 4-seat helicopter capability with about 170 NM reported range and about 135 kt reported cruise, while payload, runway and operating-cost figures remain indicative and should be verified for the specific aircraft before making a decision.The MD 520N combines 4-seat helicopter capability with about 135 NM reported range and about 137 kt reported cruise, while payload, runway and operating-cost figures remain indicative and should be verified for the specific aircraft before making a decision.The AS355 NP combines 5-seat helicopter capability with about 307 NM reported range and about 118 kt reported cruise, while payload, runway and operating-cost figures remain indicative and should be verified for the specific aircraft before making a decision.
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