Luxury Helicopters

Palace in the sky: the world's most costly helicopters

Once you have built your own insular stronghold and bred a rush of mutated shuttles, it becomes hard to see the outside the way most do. Mean man sees the earth from the floor, but wouldn't it be nice to get the prospect of Olympus? Everything you need is enough cash to buy your own personal chopper.

Airplanes may be quicker, but helicopters allow you to look at the environment like nothing else. To those with a few million bucks and a landing pad, a heliport is the ideal way to fly over the city and countryside like a Hermes. Naturally, there is a whole range of model helicopters in the whole hemisphere.

Take a look at the following checklist to take a close look at some of the most costly helicopters for personal use. Please note: The precise numbers of helicopters sold below are determined by what various chopper enthusiasts locations state. The majority of producers do not even offer an accurate quotation. Though it may not be a Mercedes-Benz airplane, the XL still has a roomy cab, and you can even get full trim seating if you want luxury.

Apparently the booth is getting pretty noisy. Previously known as the Eurocopter EC155, the name may have evolved, but the luxury is the same. The H155 belongs to the helicopter family Fauphin and is a remarkable car for the billionaire with a budge. According to the layout, the cab can accommodate two drivers and eight to twelve people.

Big window panels covering the sides of the cabins offer panoramic views to travellers, and comforts such as comfortable seating, climate control and on-board fun mean you can fly comfortably. AgustaWestland is a name that stands for excellence in the aviation sector, and the AW139 is the perfect example of this. With 12 million dollars it is on the humble side for helicopters on this schedule, but you wouldn't recognize it if you looked inside.

AW139 has the biggest cab in its category and its roomy styling allows for a wide range of seatfigurations. Sikorsky' S-76, an example of US aeronautical craftsmanship, is fitted with two Turboméca Arriel 1S1 turbines and designed to be light and require fewer parts than a standard heli.

Up to eight occupants can be accommodated in one seat configuration. Vertical take-off and landing capability means the AW609 can take you directly to any place you want to go, but it can also go twice as far and as far as a standard heli. AW609 is the next generation of helicopter-related luxury.

It may be a cheat because it's not on the scene yet, but the Bell 525 - with the nickname "relentless" - is promising to be one of the most thrilling helicopters. As one of the groundbreaking helicopter models in the category "Super Medium", the 525 can comfortably accommodate up to 20 people.

Sometimes the 525 looks less like a chopper than a swimming castle.