Here is my "not very unbiased" read (having flown the first test flight on the S76, and having over 2500 hours in it):
"AS365 - ..... more rugged" Not by a long shot! The design of the S76 includes fuselage strength at 20 G's for primary mass retention, so that it is equal to the US military helos as to keeping its occupants inside a strong cage. The 365 family (and the S61, frankly) are designed to only 6 G's, and so are very very much less "rugged." Post-crash damage shows that many times 76 occupants open the doors and walk out, while those from weaker airframes are inside a twisted ball of helicopter. Regarding basic offshore fitness, the 365 is generally not used offshore because it has relatively weak general hardware, such as door fittings, cowls, seat brackets etc, while the S76 is relatively rugged, and is the most popular in its weight class offshore (look at the PHI fleet tallies in the PHI thread for their numbers).
Entry ease, avionics suit and basic panel layout, hands down the S76 is better, with gauges put where they should be, excellent reach for radios and gear. Real pilot doors that allow real people to get in.
Approach visibility, not very good, over the panel vis is poor, but a 10 degree yaw makes a very big difference in the picture. 365 is better in this department, by more than a bit.
Passenger space - absolutely no contest, the 76 is wider, taller and roomier. The back seat in a 365 was invented by Idi Amin.
Systems redundancy and "extra" features - no contest, the 76 has more electric, hydraulic, fuel, floats and other features, redundancies and modes that make a real difference in bad wx, night or emergencies. The 76 is a big helo in this department, the 365 is a growth of a small helo (the 360) and shows it.
Installed power - the A is barely OK, but the B and C+ are quite fine, with lots of HOGE margin at gross weight for rig landings. The 365 has no real advantage here, both machines are the product of knowledge that "extra" performance means lost revenue (sorry pilots, the truth tells).
Control feel and handling - the S76 is exceptional in the basic cleanliness of the control feel, and the lack of funny handling quirks, especially in energencies. The control limits are almost never seen, especially in yaw, where 50 knots of sideward speed is controllable. The 76 flight envelope is enormous, and there is never any "jack stall" or other funny quirks that can kill you. The 365 is weak in all controls, especially yaw, where some wind conditions require it to be babied.
Overall - The S76 is very close to a pilot's dream, with long range (350 NM+), high speed (145kt+), and lots of control margins, with excellent stability and lots of avionics and autopilot features. For passengers, there is not equal. In its class (412, 212, 365, 155) the market has shown it to be the best helo, with the highest percentage of customers, and the highest repeat customer rate. The difference is not astounding, however, 365 is a fine machine, and those who like it are certainly not bonkers.
Last edited by NickLappos; 6th Oct 2006 at 11:23.