Light Rotorcraft Market Is Being Primed For Innovation

Big changes are coming to the smaller end of the helicopter market as new technology, fresh entrants and increased demand are prompting renewed investment in the segment from manufacturers.

At Vertical Aviation International’s (VAI) upcoming Verticon industry exhibition in Dallas in March, Robinson is expected to unveil a new model, its first since the R66 Turbine. A refreshed version of Airbus' H135 light twin, a type widely used for law enforcement and emergency medical services is expected to emerge, and there will likely be progress on Leonardo’s AW09 single-engine light helicopter and Hill’s HX/HC50 family of single-engine turbine helicopters, both currently in development.

The emergence of these new projects comes after reluctance to invest in this market among manufacturers, particularly as their existing light rotorcraft offers have continued to sell well.

A major criticism from the market is that there has been little innovation in this segment. Industry has continued to use designs dating back to the 1960s and 70s—after all, Bell’s 407 has a design heritage dating back to the JetRanger, while Airbus’ AS350, now marketed as the H125, first flew back in 1974. Only Bell’s 505 broke the mold when it emerged in 2013, allowing Bell to re-secure itself in the lighter end of the turbine market when it ended JetRanger deliveries three years earlier.

In response, Leonardo is developing the 2.5-metric-ton AW09 platform. Developed from Switzerland’s Kopter Group SH09, using a design initially produced by Marenco, the AW09 has been more than a decade in gestation and is now in testing, awaiting certification by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency. Leonardo has made several changes to the design, the most recent being swapping out Honeywell’s HTS900 engine and replacing it with Safran’s Arriel 2 after the OEM concluded the European engine enjoyed better global support. Leonardo is hopeful that the aircraft’s sizeable cabin—comparable with that of some twin-engine aircraft—will have strong appeal to the aerial tourism and emergency medical service sectors, particularly in the U.S.

The type may struggle in Europe however, given that twin-engine aircraft are mandated for operations over urban areas. Nonetheless, operators have already preliminarily ordered more than 100 examples.

Types such as the Bell 407 and H125 have been boosted by regular but incremental modernization, with the addition of new avionics offering instrument flight rules capability, which has been welcomed by EMS operators.

Airbus, meanwhile, continues to seek out new markets for the H125.

It currently builds the aircraft in France, Brazil and the U.S., but now plans to construct the helicopter in India in conjunction with Tata Group to meet expected growth in Indian commercial and parapublic helicopter needs.

At the smaller end of the market, where Robinson has generally dominated with its R44 and R66, a new entrant is making waves even before its first helicopter has made its maiden flight.

UK-based Hill Helicopters has secured more than 1,300 orders for its HX/HC50 family of single-engine turbine helicopters, the first in a portfolio of products the company hopes to build in the coming years.

Founder Jason Hill claims the general aviation market has been mistreated by the helicopter industry, and owners are frustrated by what he called the “staggering costs” of purchasing a helicopter.

“[Customers of other manufacturers] feel exploited, they feel badly treated, they feel the support to the products is terrible, they feel like they're being milked,” Hill has previously told BCA.

Hill’s ambition is to build what he calls an aerial grand tourer, at a similar price to that of a super car, but with considerably lower costs of operation and support. Development timelines have been pushed to the right, however, because of what Hill describes as the need to vertically integrate production in a bid to control cost and quality. The original schedule had envisaged market entry during 2023, but Hill pushed for more vertical integration because prices being charged by suppliers were “incompatible” with costs associated with a general aviation aircraft. In October 2024, the company announced key dates—first for the ground running of the helicopter’s internally developed GT50 engine this June, and finally for HX50 first flight in December.

Robinson’s future aircraft could be a response to the threat posed by Hill, but new CEO David Smith, who took the helm last year, says that despite the advances being made by the rotorcraft industry, there remains a “compelling need for robust, field-supportable, repairable aircraft.”