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Anonymous
Anonymous asked in Cars & TransportationAircraft · 1 month ago

Why are helicopters more expensive than fixed wing planes?

I was surprised to know that those small helicopters like the MD530F, Bell 407 and ACH125 are much more expensive than the SR-22, DA-40 and Cessna 172 (new ones ,not used ones).

Why are helicopters more expensive?

7 Answers

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  • 1 month ago
    Favourite answer

    They are much more mechanically complicated, cost far more to design, test and get certified, and all but the cheapest Robinson now tend to be jet-powered. They also tend to use more expensive varieties of alloys and composites in their construction.

  • Anonymous
    1 month ago

    the fixed wing aircraft should be more expensive, because of the added cost of those wing repairs. :D

  • 1 month ago

    Rotary wing aircraft (helicopters) are much more difficult to manufacture in comparison to airplanes. They likely don't sell as many copters compared to small airplanes. 

  • 1 month ago

    The helicopters you listed all have a turbine engine and typically carry 6 people, to the 4 of the aircraft. It is like asking why a Cadillac limousine costs more than a Toyota Yaris.

    C'mon.

    If at least you would have taken comparable, say the Robinson R22, a 2 seat piston engine light helicopter that sells for $285000, to a Diamond DA20, a 2 seat light plane that sells for $188000, with a piston engine from the same manufacturer and essentially the same power.

    And the answer is: a rotor is a freakishly more complicated piece of hardware to build than a fixed wing.

  • Anonymous
    1 month ago

    For one thing, dumbass, the planes have piston engines while those helicopters have TURBINE ENGINES that start at $350,000, and go up from there. The engines in the planes mentioned cost 1/6 of that, or less. All of the parts in the rotor system are far more complex and undergo far more stress than any component on a fixed-wing aircraft, therefore the engineering, construction and tolerances cost a lot more to p[roduce them. Just a set of rotor blades and the hub can cost more than a new Cessna 172.

  • 1 month ago

    Because they are far more complex. They have more moving parts, require more power and more fuel, and more electronics and controls to keep them stable in flight.

  • CB
    Lv 7
    1 month ago

    Because they are much more complicated (engineering-wise). 

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