Eurocopter Ecureuil

From MedBib.com - Medicine & Nature

AS 350 Ecureuil/AStar AS 355 Ecureuil 2/TwinStar
An AS350 rescue helicopter owned by French Gendarmerie
Role	Light utility
Manufacturer	Aérospatiale Eurocopter Group
First flight	26 June 1974
Introduced	1975
Produced	1975 to date
Unit cost	~US$1.6M (AS350 B2) ~US$2.0M (AS350 B3) ~US$2.9M (AS355 NP VFR) ~US$3.6M (AS355 NP IFR)
Variants	Eurocopter Fennec Eurocopter EC 130

The Eurocopter AS350 Ecureuil ("Squirrel") and AS355 Ecureuil 2 are a family of light helicopters originally manufactured by Aérospatiale (now part of Eurocopter Group). The AS350 (marketed as the AStar in North America) is the single-engined version, while the AS355 (TwinStar) uses two engines. The EC130B is a recent adaptation of the AS350 airframe.

Design and development

Development began in the early 1970's to replace the Alouette II, and the first flight took place on 27 June 1974. ^[1] A twin-engined version, known as the Ecureuil 2, Twin Squirrel, or in North America as the TwinStar, first flew on 3 October 1979. Despite the introduction of the EC130, production of the Eurocopter AS350 and AS355, and the AS550 and AS555 Fennec military versions remains strong.

Both single and twin-engined versions have been built under licence by Helibras in Brazil.

Operational history

On May 14, 2005 a standard-configured Ecureuil AS350 B3 piloted by Eurocopter test pilot Didier Delsalle touched down on the top of Mt. Everest, at 8,850 meters (29,035 feet) .^[2] This record has been confirmed by the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale. ^[3]

Variants

Single engine

A Canadian AS350 BA AStar

A San Diego Police Department AS350 B3 helicopter

North Carolina Forest Service AS350 B3 Firefighter

AS350

Prototype.

AS350 Firefighter

Fire fighting version.

AS350B

Powered by one Turbomeca Arriel 1B engine.

AS350 B1

Powered by one Turbomeca Arriel 1D engine.

AS350 B2

Higher gross weight version powered by one Turbomeca Arriel 1D1 engine.

AS350 B3

High-performance version, is powered by a Turbomeca Arriel 2B engine equipped with a Full Authority Digital Engine Control (FADEC) system. This helicopter is the first ever to land on Mount Everest. Recently introduced AS350 B3/2B1 variant introduces enhanced engine with dual digital FADEC, dual hydraulics and a 2,370 kg (5,225 lb) M.T.O.W.

AS350 BA

Powered by a Turbomeca Arriel 1B engine and fitted with wider chord main rotor blades.

AS350 BB

AS350 B2 variant selected to meet rotary-wing training needs of UK MoD, through its Defence Helicopter Flying School in 1996. Powered by a derated Turbomeca Arriel 1D1 engine to improve the helicopters' life cycle.

Eurocopter Squirrel HT.1

Designation of AS 350BB in operation with British RAF as a training helicopter.

Eurocopter Squirrel HT.2

Designation of AS 350BB in operation with British Army Air Corps as a training helicopter.

AS350 C

Initial variant of Lycoming LTS-101-600A2 powered version developed for the North American market as the AStar. Quickly superseded by AS350D.

AS350 D

Powered by one Lycoming LTS-101 engine for the North American market as the AStar. At one stage marketed as AStar 'Mark III.'

AS350 L1

Military derivative of AS350 B1, powered by a 510-kW (684-shp) Turbomeca Arriel 1D turboshaft engine. Superseded by AS350 L2.

AS350 L2

Military derivative of AS350 B2, powered by a 546-kW (732-shp) Turbomeca Arriel 1D1 turboshaft engine. Designation superseded by AS550 C2.

HB350 B Esquilo

Unarmed military version for the Brazilian Air Force. Brazilian designations CH-50 and TH-50. Built under licence by Helibras in Brazil.

HB350 B1 Esquilo

Unarmed military version for the Brazilian Navy. Brazilian designation UH-12. Built under licence by Helibras in Brazil.

HB350 L1

Armed military version for the Brazilian Army. Brazilian designation HA-1. Built under licence by Helibras in Brazil.

Twin engine

AS 355F1 Ecureuil 2

AS 355N Twin Squirrel

AS355

Prototype of the twin-engined Ecureuil 2 or Twin Squirrel.

AS355 E

Initial production version, powered by two Allison 250 turboshaft engines. Known as the Twin Star in the United States and Canada.

AS355 F

Improved version, fitted with improved rotor blades and systems.

AS355 F1

Powered by the Allison C20F engine. 2,400 kg (5,291 lb) M.T.O.W.

AS355 F2

Powered by the Allison C20F engine with uprated engine and transmission for higher M.T.O.W. (2,540 kg or 5,600 lb), and hydraulic accumulator for better tail rotor control.

AS355 M

Initial armed version of AS355 F1.

AS355 M2

Armed version of AS355 F2. Superseded by AS555 Fennec.

AS355 N Ecureuil 2

Version fitted with two Turbomeca Arrius 1A engines and a Full Authority Digital Engine Control (FADEC) system for better M.T.O.W (2,600 kg or 5,732 lb) and better single engine performance. Known as the TwinStar in the United States.

AS355 NP Ecureuil 2

Introduced in 2007, this version is fitted with two Turbomeca Arrius 1A1 turboshaft engines and a new AS350 B3-based main gearbox, increasing maximum take-off weight to 2,800 kg (6,173 lb).^[4]

HB.355F Ecureuil 2

Licence built in Brazil by Helibras.

HB.355N Ecureuil 2

Licence built in Brazil by Helibras.

Aftermarket conversions

Soloy Super D

AS350 BA powered by an LTS101-600A-3A engine.

Soloy Super D2

AS350 B2 powered by an LTS101-700D-2 engine.

Heli-Lynx 350FX1

AS350 BA powered by an LTS101-600A-3A engine.

Heli-Lynx 350FX2

AS350 BA or AS350 B2 powered by an LTS101-700D-2 engine.

Otech AS350BA+

AS350 BA powered by an LTS101-600A-3A engine ^[5].

Heli-Lynx 355FX1

Powered by the Allison C20F engine. FAA, TC, and EASA approved.

Heli-Lynx 355FX2

Powered by the Allison C20F engine. FAA,TC and EASA approved.

Heli-Lynx 355FX2R

Powered by the Allison C20R engine. FAA and TC approved.

Starflex AS355F1R

AS355 F1 powered by the Allison C20R engine. FAA, TC and EASA approved.

Starflex AS355F2R

AS355 F2 Powered by the Allison C20R engine with optimised tail rotor blades. FAA, TC and EASA approved.

Operators

Military operators

 Albania

 Algeria

 Argentina

 Australia

• Royal Australian Navy, Fleet Air Arm (RAN)
  • No. 723 Squadron RAN

 Benin

 Botswana

 Brazil

• Brazilian Army(16), Brazilian Air Force(28), Brazilian Navy(26)

 Burkina Faso

 Burundi

 Cambodia

 Canada

 Central African Republic

 Chile

• Chilean Army AS350 & HB355

 China

 Comoros

 Denmark

 Djibouti

 Ecuador

 France

 Gabon

 Guinea

 Jamaica

 Malawi

 Malaysia

 Mali

 Mauritius

 Mexico

 Morocco

 Nepal

 Paraguay

 Peru

 Rwanda

 Singapore

 Trinidad and Tobago

 Tunisia

 United Arab Emirates

 United Kingdom

• 38 AS350 BB helicopters in service with FB Heliservices for the Ministry of Defence's Defence Helicopter Flying School at RAF Shawbury for training all British Armed Forces helicopter pilots.^[6]

 Uruguay

 Venezuela

Law Enforcement operators

San Bernardino County Sheriff's AS350 B3

 Austria

• Flugpolizei (Ministry of Interior)^[7] operates five AS350 B1, two AS355 F2, and two AS355 N.

 Australia

• New South Wales Police Force
• Victoria Police

 Bosnia and Herzegovina

• Federal Police

 Brazil

• Brazilian Federal Police
• Brazilian Military Police
• Goiás Military Police ^[8]
• São Paulo State Military Police
• Rio de Janeiro State Military Police

 Canada

• Royal Canadian Mounted Police
• Ontario Provincial Police

 Chile

• Policía de Investigaciones de Chile

 Ireland

• Garda Síochána

Royal Malaysian Police Air Wing Unit's AS355N Twin Squirrel.

 Malaysia

• Royal Malaysian Police Air Wing Unit

 Morocco

• Royal Moroccan Gendarmerie

 Netherlands

• Netherlands Coast Guard for use at Curacao (Netherlands Antilles)

 New Zealand

• New Zealand Police Air Support "Eagle Unit"

 Norway

• Norwegian Police Service

 Philippines

• Philippine National Police

 South Africa

• South African Police Service Air Wing operates 11 AS350B3s.

 Trinidad and Tobago

• Special Anti-Crime Unit of Trinidad and Tobago

 United States

• Anaheim Police Department operates an AS350 B2 helicopter.
• Baltimore County Police Department recently purchased three Eurocopter AS350B3 helicopters.
• Bernalillo County Sheriff Department operates an AS350 B3 helicopter.
• Broward County Sheriff's Office operates an AS350 B2 helicopter.
• California Highway Patrol operate 10 AS350 B3 helicopters and a single AS350 B2.
• Citrus County Sheriff's Office operates a single AS350 B3 helicopter.
• Dekalb County Police operate 2 AS350 B2 helicopters.
• East Bay Regional Park Police operates an AS350 B2 helicopter.
• Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office operates 3 AS350 B2 helicopters.
• Lee County Sheriff's Office operates two AS350B/B2 helicopters.
• Los Angeles Police Department operates 14 AS350 B2 helicopters.^[9]
• Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department operates 12 AS350 B2 helicopters.
• Massachusetts State Police operates 4 AS355 N TwinStar helicopters and an AS350 BA.
• Memphis Police Department operates an AS350 B3 helicopter.
• Oakland County Sheriff's Department operates 2 AS350 B2 helicopters.
• Ohio State Highway Patrol operates an AS350 B2 helicopter.
• Ontario, CA Police Department operates 2 AS350 B2 helicopters.
• Orange County, CA Sheriff's Department operates 2 AS350 B2 helicopters.
• Phoenix Police Department operates 3 AS350 B3 helicopters.
• Pinellas County Sheriff's Office operates 2 AS350 B2 helicopters.
• Riverside County Sheriff's Department operate 4 AS350 B3 helicopters.
• Salt Lake County Sheriff operates an AS355 N helicopter.
• San Antonio Police Department operates an AS350 B3 helicopter.
• San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department operates 6 AS350 B3 helicopters
• San Diego Police Department operates 4 AS350 B3 helicopters.
• Suffolk County Police Department operates 1 Eurocopter EC145 and 2 Eurocopter AS350 B2 helicopters.
• Texas Department of Public Safety operates three AS350 B and nine AS350 B2 helicopters.
• U.S. Customs and Border Protection operates 48 AS350 helicopters, and in July 2008 signed a multi-year contract for up to 50 additional AS350 B3s to meet its Light Enforcement Helicopter requirement.
• U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement operate several AS350 B2 and AS350 B3 helicopters.
• U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency operates two AS350 B2 helicopters.
• Utah State Highway Patrol operates 2 AS350 B2 helicopters.
• Washington DC Metro Police Department operates 2 AS350 B3 helicopters.

Civilian operators

Two AS350 helicopters operated by Sokha Helicopters at Angkor Wat, Siem Reap, Cambodia

AS350 B3 heli-ski helicopter operated by Jet Systems at Les Arcs

 Australia

• Australian Helicopters operates transfers from Gladstone, Queensland to Heron Island.
• The Australian Antarctic Division uses the Eurocopter AS350 for intra-continental air operations in Antarctica.

 Bhutan^[10]

 Brazil

 Cambodia

• Sokha Helicopters operates VIP charter/transfers from Phnom Penh and tourist scenic flights at Siem Reap (Angkor Wat). ^[11]

 Canada

• CHC Helicopter Corporation

 Chile

• DAP Helicópteros (355) ^[12]
• Ecocopter (350) ^[13]
• Helicopters.cl (350B3)^[14]
• Inaer Helicopter Chile (machines registered in Spain and Chile, coming from Inaer of Spain)

^[15]

• Kipreos (350BA)^[16]
• SumaAir (350B3)^[17]

AS350 B2 operated by Heliflite picking up hikers in Enontekiö, Finland.

 Finland

• Heliflite Oy in the arctic Finland^[18]

 Germany

 Greenland

• Air Greenland

 Hungary

• 3 AS350 B in service with Hungarian Air Ambulance Service, all of them received general overhaul in 2005-2007.^[19]

 Iran

• Iranian helicopter service company (IHSC)

 Iceland

• 1 AS350 B2 is operated by Northflight, also do they have one more on its way.

 Italy

• Fireman Helicopters Group, Autonomous Province of Trento ^[20] utilizes two AS350 B3 for mountain rescue, fire service, transport service and various civil defence activities.

 Nepal^[10]

 Puerto Rico

• Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority

 United Arab Emirates

 United Kingdom

• CabAir Helicopters operate a number of Twin Squirrel "VIP Version" helicopters. ^[21]

Accidents and incidents

• On 14 January 1986, French singer and songwriter Daniel Balavoine and Thierry Sabine, founder of the Dakar Rally, crashed into a dune during a sandstorm in Mali.

• On 22 October 1996, Chelsea Football Club Vice Chairman Matthew Harding together with five companions were killed when their AS355 F1 Squirrel, registration G-CFLT, crashed near Middlewich, Cheshire.^[22]

• On 27 July 2007, two AS350s collided in mid-air while reporting a police pursuit.The two helicopters were part of KNXV-TV and KTVK television stations in Phoenix, Arizona. Four crew members were killed by this accident.^[23]

• On 15 September 2007, former World Rally Championship driver Colin McRae and three passengers were killed when his AS350 B2 Squirrel,^[24] which he was piloting, crashed near Lanark, Scotland.^[25][26].

• On 24 May 2008, an AS350 crashed on the west end of Catalina Island, killing the pilot, Emeric Maillet, and two passengers along with critically injuring three other passengers.^[27][28][29]

Specifications (AS350 B3)

Cockpit of AS 355F1 Ecureuil 2

Data from {Original Ecureuil article}

General characteristics

• Crew: 1
• Capacity: 6
• Length: 12.94 m (42.45 ft)
• Rotor diameter: 10.69 m (35.07 ft)
• Height: 3.24 m (10.63 ft)
• Empty weight: 1,241 kg (2,736 lbs)
• Max takeoff weight: 2,250/2,570 kg (4,960/5,225 lbs)
• Powerplant: 1× Turbomeca Arriel 2B or 2B1 turboshaft, 632 kW (847 shp)

Performance

• Never exceed speed: 287 km/h (155 knots, 178 mph)
• Cruise speed: 259 km/h (140 knots, 161 mph - Fast cruise (127 knots normal cruise speed).)
• Range: 657 km (355 nm, 408 mi)
• Service ceiling 5,044 m (16,550 ft)
• Rate of climb: 10.0 m/s (1,959 ft/min)

Avionics
Vehicle and Engine Multifunction Display (VEMD) with First Limit Indicator (FLI) fitted as standard.

See also

Related development

• Eurocopter EC 130
• Eurocopter Fennec‎
• Changhe Z-11
  

Related lists

• List of active United Kingdom military aircraft
  

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Eurocopter Ecureuil

• Eurocopters AS350 B2 page
• Eurocopter's AS350 B3 page
• Eurocopter's AS355 NP page