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Old 28th Nov 2016, 15:24
  #238 (permalink)  
malabo
 
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Montreal
Posts: 715
Received 14 Likes on 11 Posts
The offshore industry is driving to heavy expensive options, so the weight and price of all helicopters goes up and payload goes down. The AW139 was blessed with a series of gross weight increases, otherwise a 4700kg aircraft trying to operate at the original 4200 wouldn't have much payload either. The D is in an airframe already maxed out from the original 10,500 lb gross, so payload challenged compared to the C++ or even the A++ (though those aircraft don't have the same bells and whistles). Heavier to mitigate a highly improbable risk isn't safer.

You'd have to really want a D to buy one, 139's are dirt cheap on the market right now.
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