Aerospatiale SA342 Gazelle

History

Since its launch in 1973, the Sud Aviation (later Aerospatiale) Gazelle range of light helicopters has proven popular with many foreign operators. This type has been in civilian and military service and is considered a sturdy and versatile package despite its lighter rating.

The main operator of the series remains the French Army for which it was developed, and the series has seen significant combat service during its time in the air.

The development of Gazelle stems from the French Army's request for a successor to the aging Aerospatiale "Alouette III" light helicopter fleet. This prompted the French group Sud Aviation to start developing this new rotor platform in 1966, resulting in the "SA340" prototype, which carried the conventional tail of the Alouette II series helicopters.

A successful first flight took place on April 7, 1967, culminating in four pre-production aircraft (SA341). Before the end, the traditional tail rotor unit gave way to the Fenestron tail rotor unit. An evaluation of the helicopter system showed that the platform was very agile and fast, allowing the design to set several speed records at the time.

This was before Gazelle entered service in 1973 and has since been building helicopters under different brands: Sud Aviation (later Aerospatiale), Westland and Soko.

The SA341G marks the civilian market form of the Gazelle and is equipped with the Astazou IIIA engine. Certification took place in June 1972 and the aircraft is notable for its extended cabin. The SA342J is the civilian market version of the SA342L (see below), equipped with an Astazou XIV engine with improved tail rotor functionality. These changes allowed for an increase in MTOW and subsequent commissioning in 1977.

The brand's militarized version is the SA342K, which is powered by the same engine and equipped with a ducted air intake for desert operations. This stamp appeared in May 1973.

The SA342L is a military variant based on the SA342J, with the same engine but with added provisions for special mission weapons and equipment. The type also supports the European missile "HOT" Anti-Tank Guided Missile (ATGM), which increases tank-killing capabilities. The French Army adopts the SA342M as an anti-tank platform.

The model is powered by an Astazou XIV engine and can be armed with HOT ATGM missiles. Special sighting equipment was also installed.

The military export version of the Gazelle, designated SA341H, is powered by the Astazou IIIB engine. SOKO from Yugoslavia continues to manufacture the brand locally and offers a variety of fairings, all based on the original Aerospatiale brand: there is the HO-42 based on the SA341H, the reconnaissance HI-42 "Hera" (SA341H), the attack HN-42M "Gamma" (SA341H) and HS-42 Medical Evacuation Platform (SA341H).

The HN-45M "Gama 2" is an attack platform based on the SA342L.

SA342M1 Includes the SA342M variant with the main rotor blades of the Ecureuil light helicopter for improved performance. SA349 marks a test bed for evaluating short-wing carry weapons.

The Gazelle family of operators ranges from Angola and Bosnia and Herzegovina to Syria and the United Kingdom (currently only in service with the Army Air Corps). Past operators include China, Ireland, Serbia and Montenegro, Republika Srpska, United Kingdom (RAF and RN) and the former Yugoslavia.

In addition to being produced by SOKO in Yugoslavia, the series is also produced under license by the Arab-British Helicopter Company in Egypt.

The

Gazelle series are veterans of many wars and local and regional conflicts, including the 1982 Lebanon War and the 1991 Gulf War. The product is still in service with the French Army (2017) as the main air reconnaissance unit and is becoming deployed in relation to its attack helicopter component - the Eurocopter Tiger (described in detail elsewhere on this site).

Specification

Basic

Production

Roles

Dimensions

Weight

Performance

Performance

Armor

Changes