ec-120 or r44?
 

For a private operator doing something like 100-150 hours a year what would be a better choice? Flying would be on a "just for fun basis", I hear eurocopter takes AGES for repairs but that would be fine in this case. How much would insurance be in a ec120 because I couldn't find it listed anywhere.
Thanks pprune'ers! :)

That's kinda like asking "Ford escort or Audi RS6?" :-)

You could pop a PM to John R81 or wait for him.

There are other options - B206, EN480B, H500, Gazelle....

Insurance is normally % of the insured hull value, with a factor for the pilot(s) experience, intended use, estimated hours, etc - c.6% would be typical, I suppose

Insurance on a Turbine is usually lower than for a piston. When we went from R44 to EC120 the insurance was only twice the R44! The price of the EC120 was 4 times that of a R44.

For the rest you just can't compare the two machines.

The sort of questions you need to be asking if you really want to decide on the merits of the two machines is do I need five seats ? Do I need baggage space ? Can I afford the price difference ?

However, anyone thinking of actually buying a helicopter has already crossed a line where it's not really about the helicopter any more.

Of course you can compare the two machines.

H500 I love the look but no baggage compartment, and bad legroom at backseat, bell 206 ugly, and they stopped production so parts will soon be more expensive, enstrom might go bust any time so kinda wana stay away. Does anyone know the doc of the ec-120?

And the R44 is a looker? Boy, you need to go to Specsavers.

Ah, the perspective of youth.

http://images.tribe.net/tribe/upload...d-5ff7b6ca9569

lol im not a troll, just saying that r44 is a lot cheper than a jetranger (to buy and run) so I can take the hit in the looks department, the is an amazing machine though

I'm with 206 Jock. How could you possibly call the 206 ugly????

indeed, I have never seen an ugly 206, I coauld watch them all day, and I am not known for gazing fondly at ugly specimens of any kind.

lol it's a relative thing, a 206 is kinda ugly compared to a eurocopter, also I don't really like 60's styling (call me crazy)

Which EC?

IMHO the B206 is not ugly but less pretty than an EC120/130/135, just as pretty as an AS350 and prettier than an EC145.

Also much prettier than any Robbo or MD.

NZ$0.02 worth anyway.

eeeadict - can't say I agree with you about the Bell 206 being ugly. Look what I found on another thread.

http://i638.photobucket.com/albums/u...ck/Girl206.jpg

Final conclusive evidence of the beauty of the 206's.

Definitily NOT ugly :D

That Bell needs urgent inspection regarding partially deployed air bags.

How about a 350
 

With the same budget of the EC120, I would take into consideration an older model of 350.
Maybe not so good looking, for sure a better performer.
I met an owner personally, a private non expert pilot.
He got scared few times.
Extra power means safety, especially if you're planning your trips with some passengers and you're not used to manage low power approaches and take-offs.

And look what I found when looking for a R44 :p :p


http://www.angelesbeachclubhotel.com...pter/heli1.jpg

PS: hope the owner doesn't claim copyright issues .. :)

krypton_john's right - there is no comparison! They're like chalk and cheese :confused:
A 5 seat modern turbine with glass cockpit, compared with a 4 seat piston designed in the 80's?!

One looks gorgeous, the other is butt ugly.
One sounds like a helicopter, the other sounds like a tractor.

You pays your money, you takes your choice - the R44 is great at what it was designed to do and for the market it was aimed at, but is a class apart from any EC machine.

Sorry ecureilx, that looks like that R44 is suffering from BOBFOC to me (Body Off Baywatch, Face Off Crimewatch).

To the OP, when you get to some sort of resolution to your strange dilemma, why not add the R66 to your fantasy list? It's like a light turbine and an R44 got married and they had a baby together:p