2008 Sikorsky S-76C++ for Sale

$3,000,000

Available now: 2001 Citation Bravo — $2,300,000

Aircraft Specifications

Asking Price
$3,000,000
Year
2008
Model
S-76C++
Airframe
1,352 hrs
Engines
2 × Turbomeca Arriel 2S2
Engine time
1,352 hrs since new (airframe and engines, as listed); 2,841 landings since new
Paint
Overall white with red stripes
Seats
VIP cabin: 3-4 place forward-facing divan + 3-place rear-facing divan

Avionics

Description

This 2008 Sikorsky S-76C++ is a twin-engine medium helicopter offered at an asking price of $3,000,000. The listing gives 1,352 hours total time since new for the airframe and engines, with 2,841 landings since new. Power comes from two Turbomeca Arriel 2S2 turboshafts, serial numbers 42283 TEC and 42284 TEC, each listed with the next overhaul due at 3,500 hours.

The cabin is fitted with the Deluxe VIP Interior Group: a 3-4 place forward-facing divan with a fold-down table in the centre seat back, a 3-place rear-facing divan with an integrated low-profile credenza (with liquid container and ICS phone), a fixed cabin/cockpit bulkhead, VIP soundproofing, acoustic noise reduction, tinted windows, air conditioning and a cabin call system. Crew seats are sheepskin-covered.

The flight deck combines a 4-tube Honeywell EDZ-756 EFIS, a dual digital Honeywell SPZ-7600 AFCS, three IIDS displays and a Garmin GMX-200 moving map, and the aircraft is listed as certified for single-pilot IFR. Navigation and safety equipment includes a Universal UNS-1F+ FMS with GPS, dual Collins COM/NAV, Collins Mode S transponder, DME and ADF, dual LITEF AHRS, Honeywell Primus 440 radar, SkyWatch HP TCAS I, Honeywell MK XXII EGPWS, a Collins radar altimeter and a Penny & Giles MPFR with underwater locator.

Additional equipment includes dual controls, a manual rotor brake, engine barrier filters, a heated windshield, boarding steps on both sides and an emergency flotation system listed as inactive. Paint is overall white with red stripes. Serial number, registration and location are available on request.

Consultant's Notes

The short version

This 2008 Sikorsky S-76C++ for sale is a twin-engine medium helicopter with 1,352 hours total time since new on the airframe and engines and 2,841 landings since new. It is powered by two Turbomeca Arriel 2S2 engines (serial numbers 42283 TEC and 42284 TEC), each listed with the next overhaul due at 3,500 hours. The cabin is a Deluxe VIP configuration with a forward-facing and a rear-facing divan, the flight deck has a 4-tube Honeywell EDZ-756 EFIS and a dual digital Honeywell SPZ-7600 AFCS, and the aircraft is listed as certified for single-pilot IFR. Paint is white with red stripes. The asking price is $3,000,000. Serial number, registration, location and inspection status are available on request and should be confirmed in writing.

What the S-76C++ is, and who it suits

The S-76 has been one of the reference medium twins for corporate, VIP, offshore and EMS work for decades. The C++ is the late variant of the S-76C line: it brought the Arriel 2S2 engines and a series of refinements over the C+, and it was later succeeded by the S-76D. For a buyer, that means a mature type with a deep pool of trained pilots and technicians, established maintenance practices and a long service history to learn from.

If you need a twin-engine helicopter with a real cabin, IFR capability and a type that maintenance organisations already know well, the S-76C++ is a sensible place to look. If you are shopping for the newest generation of medium twins, with the latest integrated avionics, this is not that aircraft. And if your mission is mostly short hops with two or three passengers, a light twin will cost less to run. It is better to say that here than to discover it after a viewing.

A 2008 S-76C++ with 1,352 hours: what low time really means

1,352 hours in an aircraft built in 2008 is low for the type. Spread across its life, it is roughly 75 hours a year, well below what an S-76 sees in offshore or commercial service. That is attractive, but low hours are not automatically good news. Helicopters have components with calendar limits as well as hour limits, and an aircraft that has flown little may have spent long periods parked. The right questions are where it was kept, whether it was preserved according to the manufacturer's procedures during any inactive periods, and whether the calendar-limited items are current.

The landing count tells its own story. 2,841 landings against 1,352 hours is a little over two landings per flight hour, which is consistent with short legs: VIP shuttles, corporate transfers, city-to-site flying. Some components are tracked by cycles or landings, so ask for the component status in both hours and cycles.

Engines: two Arriel 2S2

The Arriel 2S2 is the engine that defines the C++. The listing gives total time since new for "airframe and engines" together, which suggests the engines are original to the aircraft, but this should be confirmed against the engine logbooks. Each engine is listed with "Next Overhaul Due: 3,500 Hrs". Read literally, that is the hour point at which the next overhaul falls; ask the seller to confirm whether that figure is an hour mark or hours remaining, and what calendar limits apply.

No engine maintenance programme is mentioned. Whether the engines are enrolled in a manufacturer support programme makes a real difference to future costs and to resale, so this is a question to ask early, not at the closing table.

The VIP cabin

The interior is listed as the Deluxe VIP Interior Group. The layout is a 3-4 place forward-facing divan with a fold-down table in the centre seat back, facing a 3-place rear-facing divan with an integrated low-profile credenza. The credenza includes a liquid container and an ICS phone. A fixed bulkhead separates the cabin from the cockpit, and the cabin has VIP soundproofing, acoustic noise reduction, tinted windows, air conditioning, a 12 VDC accessory outlet and a call system with ringer. The crew seats are sheepskin-covered, and there is an Aircomm flight deck heater.

This is a cabin for people who want to talk, work or rest on board, not a high-density utility layout. If you plan to use the aircraft for charter, check that this configuration and its certification fit the operating rules you will fly under. If you need more seats, reconfiguring a VIP S-76 is possible but not trivial, so price it before you make an offer.

Avionics and flight deck

The flight deck is built around a 4-tube Honeywell EDZ-756 EFIS and a dual digital Honeywell SPZ-7600 automatic flight control system, with three IIDS displays and a Garmin GMX-200 moving map with the JeppView mapping option. The listing states the aircraft is certified for single-pilot IFR operations, which is a meaningful point for owners who do not want to staff every flight with two pilots.

Navigation is handled by a Universal UNS-1F+ FMS with GPS, dual Collins VHF COMs, dual Collins VIR-32-201 NAVs, Collins DME-42 and ADF-462, dual LITEF LCR-100 AHRS and a Collins CTL-92E European radio tuning unit. Safety equipment includes a Honeywell Primus 440 weather radar, a SkyWatch HP SKY899 TCAS I with dual SKY 497 displays, a Honeywell MK XXII EGPWS, a Collins ALT-1000 radar altimeter, an ADI-335D standby attitude indicator with a JET PS-855 standby power supply, an Artex ELT-406, and a Penny & Giles multi-purpose flight recorder with underwater locator. A Collins TDR-94D Mode S transponder is listed.

This is a capable, well-understood suite from its era. The honest point is that airspace requirements have moved since 2008. Depending on where the aircraft will be registered and flown, confirm the current status of items such as ADS-B Out and radio channel spacing, and budget for any upgrade before signing rather than after.

Equipment worth noting

A few lines in the specification deserve attention. The emergency flotation system is listed as inactive; if you plan over-water flying, ask what is needed to bring it back into service and what that costs. The "5P" bifilar is listed as not installed; ask the seller to explain the configuration and to share vibration data from a recent check. Several items carry JAR OPS 3 references, including the flight image recorder with three Securaplane cameras under the glare shield and the first aid kit. JAR OPS 3 is the older European framework for commercial helicopter operations, so it is worth asking how and under which regime the aircraft has been operated.

Other listed equipment includes dual controls, a manual rotor brake, an engine barrier filter system, pulse engine chip detectors, a heated glass windshield with wipers and washers, recognition lights, Whelen strobes, boarding steps on both sides, and hinged locking fuel caps.

What to verify before you commit

None of these points is a reason to walk away. They are the normal checks for a helicopter of this class, and a serious seller will expect them.

- Logbooks and records. Complete airframe, engine and component logbooks since new, with no gaps. - Inspection status. The listing does not state the current inspection status. Ask for the maintenance programme, the last major inspections and what is coming due in the next 12 to 24 months. - Component times. Status of life-limited and calendar-limited parts, including dynamic components, in hours, cycles and calendar time. - Storage history. If the aircraft sat for long periods, ask for the preservation records. - Damage history. The listing does not mention it either way. Ask for a written statement. - Engine programme. Confirm whether the Arriel 2S2 engines are enrolled in any support programme and whether it transfers. - Registration and airworthiness. Current registry, certificate of airworthiness and, for Europe, ARC status. Factor in export and import steps if the aircraft changes registry. - Pre-purchase inspection. Done at a facility with real S-76 experience, including a ground run and a test flight.

Frequently asked questions

How many hours does this 2008 Sikorsky S-76C++ have? The listing gives 1,352 hours total time since new for the airframe and engines, and 2,841 landings since new.

What engines does it have? Two Turbomeca Arriel 2S2 engines, serial numbers 42283 TEC and 42284 TEC, each listed with the next overhaul due at 3,500 hours.

Is it certified for single-pilot IFR? Yes, the specification lists it as certified for single-pilot IFR operations. Confirm how that applies under your registry and operating rules.

How many passengers does the cabin seat? The VIP layout has a 3-4 place forward-facing divan and a 3-place rear-facing divan, so six to seven cabin seats depending on how the centre seat is used.

Can it fly over water? An emergency flotation system is installed but listed as inactive. It would need to be returned to service before over-water operations that require it.

Are the engines on a maintenance programme? The listing does not say. Ask the seller before making an offer, since it affects both operating costs and resale value.

What is the asking price? $3,000,000. Serial number, registration, location and full maintenance status are available on request.