Eurocopter SA.341/342 Gazelle - Archived 11/1995

Outlook

• No additional Gazelle production is anticipated.
• Upgrades of French Army Gazelles are possible if the Tiger is cancelled or delayed .

Orientation

Description. Five-seat, single turboshaft-powered military and commercial utility and military anti-armor helicopters.

Sponsor. French Ministry of Defense.

Contractors. Societe Nationale Industrielle Aerospatiale Division Helicopters which, in 1992 was merged with DASA/MBB helicopter operations to form Eurocopter SA. Production of the Gazelle was performed by Aerospatiale in La Courneuve, France.

Co-Producer. Westland Group Plc, Westland Helicopters, Yeovil, Somerset, UK.

Licensees. Arab British Helicopter Company (ABHCo), Helwan, Egypt.

Vazduhoplovna Industrija SOKO, Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Status. French production completed in 1991; Yugoslav licensed production halted in 1992.

Total Produced. Through 1991, Eurocopter produced approximately 683 SA.341s and 574 SA.342 models for a total of 1,257. Licensed production totaled an estimated 554 units, including 30 by ABHCo, 230 by SOKO, and 294 by Westland.

Application. Military missions include reconnaissance, light attack, border patrol, fire support, liaison, and drug interdiction. Commercial uses include resource development, pipeline and utility power line patrol, fishery protection, flight training, and media reporting, among others.

Price Range. $850,000 to $1.0 million, depending upon weapons and avionics fit, in 1991 US dollars.

Technical Data

Weights

Capacities

Standard seating for five.

Available options include two rocket pods capable of carrying Thomson-Brandt 68 mm or FZ 6.985 cm (2.75-inch) rockets, four or six HOT wire-guided missiles, two forward-firing 7.62 mm machine guns, four Mistral air-to-air missiles, or one GIAT M621 20 mm cannon.

Performance(a)

Propulsion

(a)SA.342L1 at maximum takeoff weight.

Variants/Upgrades

Aerospatiale offered about a dozen Gazelle variants; the most recent line is briefly described as follows:

SA.342L1.  This variant was a basic military export model, superseding the SA.342L. It has a higher gross weight than earlier derivatives and is powered by the Astazou XIVM engine, as is the SA.342M.

SA.342M. The military variant for the French Army Light Aviation Corps (ALAT). The SA.342M has an ALAT instrument panel and uses the Astazou XIVM turboshaft engine with an automatic start function and high-energy ignition. Optional equipment as specified by the ALAT includes: SFIM PA 85G autopilot, Sextant Avionique Nadir self-contained navigation system, Decca 80 Doppler, and night flight equipment. The SA.342M is capable of carrying four to six HOT anti-tank missiles. ALAT deliveries began in February 1980. Orders for the French Army totalled 188 units.

Program Review

Background. The Gazelle is a five-place helicopter developed largely from proven components and systems of Aerospatiale's popular Alouette series. The aircraft resembles the Alouette III to some degree, but incorporates the French company's shrouded fan-type (fenestron) tail rotor. It also uses the Alouette II's transmission and employs a three-bladed, semi-articulated main rotor with fiberglass blades.

Under an agreement signed in 1967 between Westland and Aerospatiale, Westland began producing SA.341 aircraft. The UK firm built 294 units, ending production in 1984. SOKO, then of Yugoslavia, began SA.341 production in 1971. The Arab British Helicopter Company assembled Gazelles under license, and completed an order for 30 units in 1985. The Astazou XIV engines for these aircraft were assembled by the Arab British Engine Co (ABECo).

Funding

Not available.

Analysis. French Gazelle production came to an end in 1991; Eurocopter has been concentrating on development of the Tiger anti-tank/ground support helicopter. The Tiger will likely be one of Eurocopter's principal military rotorcraft products for the next 20 years, and could be the company's only major military program if the NH 90 does not survive.

Recent Contracts

None.

Timetable

Worldwide Distribution

Military/Government Operators

Forecast Rationale

We anticipate no additional Gazelle production. Upgrades of French Army Gazelles are possible if the Eurocopter Tiger is delayed significantly or canceled by its sponsoring governments. We consider Tiger cancellation to be unlikely.

Ten-Year Outlook