Shrieking Gazelles

[Savoia]

Zis, at some point in the future it would be nice to know the breakdown in numbers for airframes produced by each of the respective manufacturers/assembly plants: ie. Aérospatiale, ABHCO, Soko & Westland.





Avionics Upgrade for British Army Gazelles

Gama Engineering Ltd of Fairoaks Airport in the UK, have been awarded a contract to supply the design solution and parts for a Traffic Alerting System, GPS and 8.33kHz VHF Comms upgrade to a number of Army Air Corps Gazelle helicopters.

The upgrade will include GPS, Comms and Traffic Advisory equipment from Garmin and an electronic Primary Flight Display from Aspen Avionics. Gama Engineering has previously worked with both equipment manufacturers on a significant number of civilian Supplemental Type Certificate programmes, but this is the first such venture on a military platform.

Harry Lees, Gama Engineering Managing Director commented: “We are delighted to have been awarded this contract and to have the trust of the MoD in being able to deliver an urgent safety upgrade to their Gazelle fleet."

http://helihub.com/2014/04/11/gama-e...date-contract/

[Savoia]

Zis, have you noticed that there seem to be more N-reg Gazelles flocking around northern Belgium these days?


SA341G Gazelle N700SH (cn 1154) as seen at Zomergem Heliport in northern Belgium on 30th March 2014 (Photo: Tom Buysse)

[Savoia]

Residents of Montauban (a town in the Midi-Pyrénées region of southern France, about 50 kms north of Toulouse) will have noticed the absence (since March) of the memorial helicopter which normally guards the main roundabout outside the entrance to the ALAT (Aviation Légère de l’Armée de Terre – Army Light Aviation Unit) base to the north of the town.

The Gazelle helicopter, registration ‘MTN’, has now returned to guard the memorial roundabout which, as many local residents will know, is dedicated to the late Commandant Caroline Aigle.

The helicopter was removed for refurbishing by ALAT’s 9th Bataillon Air Mobile Support division who have now returned it to the roundabout.

The restoration of Gazelle ‘MTN’ coincides with the 60th anniversary of ALAT as well as the release (this month) of a special stamp commemorating the life of Caroline Aigle.

* * *

Commandant Caroline Aigle (12 September 1974 – 21 August 2007) was a French aviator who achieved a historical first when, at the age of 25, she became the first woman fighter pilot in the French Air Force.

However, her promising military career was tragically cut short when she was diagnosed with cancer seven years later. Aigle was pregnant with her second son Gabriel when the malignancy was discovered, but refused to undergo an abortion despite the increased difficulty in cancer treatment options. Gabriel was delivered via caesarean section, five-and-a half months into term, fifteen days before his mother died on 21 August 2007.

On 2 October 2007, President Sarkozy posthumously awarded Caroline Aigle with the Médaille de l'Aéronautique (Aeronautical Medal).

Aigle was married to Christophe "Douky" Deketelaere (born 27 September 1964), a former Air Force fighter pilot and deputy leader of the Breitling Jet Team. They have two sons, Marc and Gabriel.


Gazelle 'MTN' (before refurbishment) guarding the roundabout outside the ALAT main entrance


The roundabout is dedicated to the late Commandant Caroline Aigle


Gazelle MTN guarding the memorial roundabout prior to being refurbished


Gazelle MTN being positioned onto a truck after being lifted off the roundabout for refurbishment


Gazelle MTN seen in the workshops of the 9th Bataillon Air Mobile Support unit for restoration work last month


Gazelle MTN now refurbished wearing the 9th Bataillon Air Mobile Support titles on its tail. Here the blades are being attached to the helicopter at night after the Gazelle was lifted from a truck. Some minutes later the helicopter was again lifted into its resting position on top of the roundabout


Colonel Lambin-Bernot, Commander of the Air Defense Base, with Richard Grassat (Post Quercy-Rouergue-Tarn) and Ms Eagle (Caroline's mother) to unveil the refurbished Gazelle guarding the memorial roundabout on the day of the release of the commemorative stamp celebrating her daughter's life


The commemorative stamp celebrating the life of Caroline Aigle released in France in April 2014


This Gaz News comes to us courtesy of Avia member Zishelix!

[Zishelix]

... it would be nice to know the breakdown in numbers for airframes produced by each of the respective manufacturers/assembly plants ...

Sure, according to the data I have:

Aérospatiale = 969
Westland = 293
Soko = 163

As far as I know, Egypt have/had 90 Gazelles, most of them imported directly from France with 30 assembled in the Helwan factory from Aérospatiale's components.

Should be mentioned that Soko-Mostar took over the production of Gazelle components when production line in Marignane ceased in late 1980's. So we may say any Gazelle produced since then was born in former Yugoslavia!

... seem to be more N-reg Gazelles flocking around northern Belgium these days?

Well, people in Belgium obviously know a good helicopter when they see one!


Sav, thanks for posting this Montauban Gazelle news. Btw, it's an ex-ALAT aircraft, SN 1629.

[xbdt]

N700SH is in my hangar and belongs to a friend. It arrived about 1 month ago here in Belgium.

[KurtLefebre]

Hi all,

I am the proud owner of N700SH and new to this forum.

Thanks all for sharing your knowledge and information, which is much appreciated.

Cheers,

Kurt

[Zishelix]

Dear Kurt

Welcome aboard and thanks for joining us.

I would be very grateful if you are able to confirm some of the details relating to your Gazelle's history.

This is what I have:

• Manufactured in 1974
• November 1974 registered as N102PR and sold to Puerto Rico Water Resources
• January 1989 re-registered as N700SH and sold to Hoffman Aircraft Inc.
• June 1990 sold to Orange State Helicopters Inc.
• March 1992 sold to O.H.B. Inc.
• November 1998 sold to Resources Unlimited Inc.
• 2010 shipped to the UK

Here is how it looked in 1993 while with OHB Inc:

[Savoia]

N700SH is in my hangar and belongs to a friend. It arrived about 1 month ago here in Belgium.

Bravo XB!
We wish you every success in populating Belgium with Gazelles!


Kurt: Let me join Zishelix in wishing you a warm welcome and by saying .. Benvenuti in Aviafora!

[Savoia]

Kurt: We have heard something from XB about the phenomenon which I refer to as the Gazelle's 'Tail Swing Bite' aka Loss of Fenestron Effectiveness and on page 8 there is a summary containing a handful of remarks from various accident reports associated with this condition.

Of the accidents listed, the last one involving G-SFTA, concerns me the most. This is what the report says:

The helicopter took off from Carlisle Airport at 0800 hrs on a navigational training sortie which was to simulate the pick-up of troops at various points on the route. About 18 mins after take-off the student had identified a pick-up point near a barn and was told by his instructor to look for a suitable landing area. They flew past the barn at 40-50 kts with a slight left bank at about 100-150 ft agl when the helicopter started to yaw to the left at an increasing rate with the airspeed reducing. The instructor reached for the controls and asked the student what he was doing. The student replied that he had lost control. By now, and despite the full right pedal and forward cyclic applied by the instructor, the helicopter was rotating to the left and descending. The instructor raised the collective just before the helicopter hit the ground nose down and right skid low. The helicopter, after contacting the ground., rolled over onto its right side.

In the other accidents the helicopter was either in the hover or involved in some sort of hovering manoeuvre but here the aircraft is flying (according to the report) between 40-50 kts and it still manages to enter this condition. Now I accept that below 60 kts most helicopters do not fully benefit from the stabilising effects of airflow across the fuselage but still, 40 kts is 40 kts, and is not the same as hovering!

Have you had any experience of making left pedal turns in the Gazelle when you felt the aircraft wanted to rotate 'wildly' to the left?

And finally .. what about hover-taxiing with a left crosswind. How does the Gaz behave in this condition?

[xbdt]

I don't think this happened in a translational flight. I'm sure this happened below 30 kts.

Again, in normal flight manoeuvres this will not happen. Land into the wind or wind from the right.

So, the instructor let the aircraft to touch the ground while still spinning around? This is not the best kind of instructing in my view.

[Savoia]

XB, thanks for the further explanation!

Regarding autorotations, how does the Gaz compare with other types you have flown?

[xbdt]

Autorotations are very easy; it is a no brainer. There is a relative high inertia and there is no need to chase the RRPM like in a smaller aircraft like R22/R44.

Lower the collective, fly at 65-70kts, flare it, level it, cushion it.

[Zishelix]

Offshore Gazelles are quite rare but, I have a couple of shots here taken in the 1980's showing a German registered Gazelle, D-HARI, on board two offshore helidecks. These shots were taken in Mexico and Panama in Oct/Nov 1980 - it would be very interesting to find out what a German Gazelle was doing there!





At the time of these photos D-HARI belonged to Luft Transport Dienst KG then, in 1985, it was sold in France to become F-GETS.

Sadly, this helicopter was destroyed at the heliport of Issy-les-Moulineaux in Paris in December 1991 after being leased to the Thierry Sabine Organisation as part of the aerial support team for the 1992 Paris-Dakar rally. Allegedly, some opponents set it alight.

[Savoia]

Grazie XB!

I suppose for engine-to-idle autorotations you need the instructor or check pilot to retard the throttle for you, seeing as it is not so close to the collective!

Offshore Gazelles ..

Yes, this must surely be a rare occupation for the Gazelle!

I am wondering whether there was a German drilling company (or other oilfield support service) who were involved with the work and decided to ship their helicopter across to South America? In Italy the oil company ENI used to so this in the 60's and 70's, sending their helicopters to join exploration and drilling projects in different places (mainly North Africa).

Imagine standing at the Aberdeen Aero Club (if there is one) and saying "Oh yes, I used to fly Gazelles offshore for Bristow!" I mean, it sounds implausible but, as you know, Bristow did have at least one offshore Gaz ..


Bristow Offshore Helicopters Inc. SA341G Gazelle N9003A (cn:1566) at Sabine Pass, Port Arthur, Texas c.1980 (Photo: Ken Knight)

Well, you mentioned that D-HARI (once she became F-GETS) was vandalised at Issy-les-Moulineaux while on lease to the Thierry Sabine Organisation .. here is another offshore Gaz with another connection to Sabine .. the 'Sabine Pass' ..

Word is that N9003A ended-up flying over water in Trinidad, also with Bristow, in the mid-80's.

Btw: Anyone found guilty of deliberately burning a Gazelle should be made to work at the Aérospatiale factory until they have built a new one!

[Zishelix]

N9003A did indeed become 9Y-TGU in 1980 for Trinidad and Tobago's Ministry of National Security after flying with Bristow Offshore Helicopters in the Gulf of Mexico during the late 1970's.

[Savoia]

Nice to see that photo from Trinidad!

One notices that your D-HARI is wearing a similar colour scheme (if not identical) to HB-ZEU which was featured a few pages back.



Some more classic Gaz ..


SA341G F-BUUX (cn:1084) as seen at Basel-Mulhouse Airport on the French-Swiss border in 1976 (Photo: Urs Ruf)

Belonging to Coudert Butchery (Boucherie Coudert) and advertising 'Jambon & Saucissons' (ham and sausages) on the tailboom!

[Zishelix]

The short-lived c/n 1084 was delivered to Coudert as F-BUUX in November 1973 but crashed only a few weeks later.

The airframe was then returned to Aerospatiale who merged the usable components with c/n 1223 (which was on their production line at that time) meaning that Aerospatiale effectively re-delivered a new Gazelle to Coudert. Then, unbelievably, this aircraft was again lost (in a fire) in December 1979.

Btw, it seems there was a Gazelle pyromaniac sneaking around in those days.

[Savoia]

Grazie Zis!

Always great to get the full story.

[Savoia]

Do you think this qualifies as a hot start?


L'armée de Terre SA341F 'CWH' as seen at Phalsbourg-Bourscheid Air Base (Camp de la Horie) on 15th June 2003 (Photo: Jerome Mervelet)

[Savoia]

Syrian Gazelle flies through police check-point:

[Zishelix]

Wow, a little bit too low I'd say Great finding, anyway

[Savoia]

Alouette III and Gazelle (stretched version) attending Eurocopter (as it was) North America's 40th Anniversary celebration at Grand Prairie in Texas on 10th July 2009

[xbdt]

Yes, this was N901B, which has an ugly interior finish (which can be re-done of course), aftermarket but certified A/C install. Nice avionics package. This aircraft is for sale.

[Savoia]

Good to know there's a stretched Gaz available should somebody need one.

More Gaz Vids ..

The question here of course is .. why did he fly over the bridges?

[Savoia]

.. N901B, which has an ugly interior finish (which can be re-done of course), ..

Perhaps this Gazelle interior looks a little better?

[Zishelix]

...N901B, which has an ugly interior finish...

No kidding?! You don't like fake leather?





Oh I know, you prefer a touch of classic!

[xbdt]

The previous owner wanted the interior to be like his Ferrari. However, I think Enzo Ferrari is awake and making circles in his grave now...

I don't know which model the previous owner had, but N901B doesn't come close to any Ferrari in my mind!

The current owner is selling this aircraft for $200k but .. the engine needs to be replaced as it has 0 hours left.

[Savoia]

The previous owner wanted the interior to be like his Ferrari. However, I think Enzo Ferrari is awake and making circles in his grave now...

LOL!! I was going to say (with all due respect to whoever completed N901B's interior) that my 10 year old son could have probably done a better job of covering the instrument panel - and that's no joke!

The current owner is selling this aircraft for $200k but .. the engine needs to be replaced as it has 0 hours left.

And .. from what you are saying, a completely new Gaz engine is in the region of €800k so .. N901B really costs €1m.

Do you know how much a 206 (JetRanger) engine costs? I can't be anywhere near this price surely? I am just interested in the comparative cost.

[xbdt]

Nobody will buy a new engine from Eurocopter or Turbomeca. The only possibility is to replace it with a second hand engine with good remaining times.

Also it depends what you'll do with the helicopter; std category, experimental... civil engines are not easy to find but there are some. Military engines like IIIB, IIIN2 are largely available.

[Savoia]

Okay, this makes sense as the turbine overhaul/replacement costs (especially for the Astazou) are off-putting for many private operators.

Did you read about the Small Heavy Fuel Engine (SHFE) which Honeywell was developing in 2007? I mention this because turbine technology for light helicopters doesn't seem to have progressed at great speed in recent decades - even the Allison (now Rolls-Royce) 250 series belongs to the same technology era as the Astazou.

The SHFE was promising a 35% reduction in life-cycle costs as well as a 20% reduction in specific fuel consumption with an engine life of 5,0000 hours!


The Small Heavy Fuel Engine