Are Helicopters Expensive?
The small piston engine helicopters used commercially sell for slightly over €180,000, or about 30% – 50% more than the cost of a similar size airplane. Turbine powered helicopters range from about €1,000,000 for a four-passenger model to several million dollars for the medium twin-engine helicopters. Any new aircraft, including helicopters, have extensive engineering, development and Aviation Administration certification costs, which must be absorbed through the sales price of the relatively small number of helicopters sold. The complexity and the need for exceptional reliability make helicopters more expensive than airplanes of equal size. In recent years, new technology has greatly simplified helicopter design, adding to its reliability.
