Eurocopter Super Puma

infobox Aircraft
name=AS 332 Super Puma


caption=A United Arab Emirates (UAE) Navy AS332B Super Puma
type=Helicopter
manufacturer=Aérospatiale Eurocopter
designer=
first flight=13 September 1978
introduced=
introduced=
introduction=
retired=
status=Active
primary user=
more users=
produced=
number built=
unit cost=US $15.5 million (2006)
developed from=Aérospatiale Puma
variants with their own articles= Eurocopter AS 532 Eurocopter EC 225

The Eurocopter Super Puma (originally built by Aérospatiale) is a helicopter marketed for civil and military use. It is an enlarged and re-engined version of the original Aérospatiale Puma and first flew on September 13 1978.

Design and development

The type has proved immensely successful, chosen by 37 military forces around the world, and some 1,000 civil operators.Fact|date=November 2007 The Super Puma has proved especially well-suited to the North Sea oil industry, where it is used to ferry personnel and equipment to and from oil platforms. In civilian configuration it can seat approximately 18 passengers and two crew, though since the early 2000s most oil companies have banned use of the middle-rear seat reducing effective capacity to 17+2. This down-rating is due to difficulties encountered in evacuating through the rear-most windows in crashes at sea.

A wide variety of specialised military variants are in use, including dedicated Search and rescue and ASW versions. Since 1990, military Super Pumas have been marketed as the Cougar.

Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) and Eurocopter have formed the EUROTAI Consortium. Under this venture agreement TAI will manufacture the Eurocopter Super Puma and Cougar in Turkey [ [http://www.eurocopter.com/publications/FO/scripts/newsFO_complet.php?lang=EN&news_id=270 Tusas Aerospace Industries (TAI) from Turkey and EUROCOPTER Extend their Cooperation in the Super Puma / Cougar Helicopter Family ] ]

Variants

* AS 331 - Prototype.
* AS 332A - Commercial pre-production version.
* AS 332B - Military version.
* AS 332B1 - First military version.
* AS 332C - Production civil version.
* AS 332C1 - Search and rescue version, equipped with a search radar and six stretchers.
* AS 332F - Military anti-submarine and anti-ship version.
* AS 332F1 - Naval version.
* AS 332L - Civil version with uprated engines, a lengthened fuselage and more cabin space, plus increased fuel. (Sometimes known as the Super Tiger).
* AS 332L1 - Stretched civil version, with a long fuselage and an airline interior.
* AS 332L2 Super Puma Mk 2 - Civil transport version, fitted with Spheriflex rotor head and EFIS.
* AS 332M - Military version of the AS 332L.
* AS 332M1 - Stretched military version.
* NAS 332 - Licensed version built by IPTN, now Indonesian aerospace(PT. Dirgantara Indonesia).

Operators

Civilian

;AZE
* 2 AS 332L1's in service with Azerbaijan Airlines (AZAL) and used for offshore operations to ferry workers to and from Caspian Sea oil rigs, and to transport passengers. [ [http://www.eurocopter.com/publications/FO/scripts/newsFO_complet.php?lang=EN&news_id=70 Eurocopter Press Release - Azerbaijan Airlines Orders 6 Helicopters From Eurocopter] ] ;BRA
* Used by Petrobras Oil;GER
* Federal German Police;FIN
* Finnish Border Guard;NOR
* CHC Helicopter
* Norsk Helikopter
* Airlift AS;CAN
* CHC Helicopter
* Cougar Helicopters
* The Canadian Forces had the Super Puma as a candidate to replace their aging SH-3 Sea King, but opted for rival Sikorsky S-92;Flag|Hong Kong
* Government Flying Service;ISL
* Coast Guard;JPN
* Coast Guard;MYS
* Malaysia Helicopter Services - chartered by PETRONAS for its upstream operations offshore the states of Terengganu and Sarawak.;Flag|Puerto Rico
* Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority;MAR
* Royal Moroccan Gendarmerie;Flag|United Kingdom
* British Airways Helicopters (1983-1986)
* Bristow Helicopters Ltd - operates a fleet of around 20 airframes for North Sea hydrocarbon personnel transfer operations

Military

;ARG
*Argentine Army (332B);CHI
*Chilean Army (332M)
*Chilean Navy (332F1);BRAChinese airforce PLAAF
*Brazilian Air Force (532MK1)
*Brazilian Army (532UE)
*Brazilian Navy (532MK1);ECU
*Ecuadorian Army (332M);GRE
*Greek Air Force (332C);IDN
*Indonesian Air Force
*Indonesian Navy;KUW
*Kuwait Air Force (332M);MEX
*Mexican Air Force;OMA
*Royal Air Force of Oman;flagicon|Panama Panama
*Panamanian Air Force/National Air Service (332L);NGA
*Nigerian Air Force (332B);SAU
*Saudi Navy (332F);SIN
*Republic of Singapore Air Force:*125 Squadron operates 22 AS332M Super Pumas;ESP
*Spanish Air Force (332B and 332M)
*Spanish Army (332B);SUI
*Swiss Air Force (332M);SWE
*Swedish Air Force;THA
*Royal Thai Air Force;VEN
*Venezuelan Air Force (332B);VIE
*Vietnam People's Air Force (332L)

Accidents and Incidents

* G-TIGK 19th January 1995. Operated by Bristow Helicopters ditched in the North Sea. No Fatalities. Aircraft lost.
* 21. November 2006. A Eurocopter AS 332L2 search and rescue helicopter ditched in the North Sea. The aircraft was equipped with two automatic inflatable life rafts, but both failed to inflate. The Dutch Safety Board afterwards issued a warning. [ [http://www.safetyboard.nl/publications/dsb/intermediate_report_bristow.pdf Tussenbericht_ rapport 280307.doc ] ]
* 21. July 2008. A Eurocopter crashes in the Cochabamba - Bolivia. The aircraft belonged to the Venezuela Air Force. Four Venezuelan military personnel and a Bolivian officer were reported killed.. [ [http://news.google.com/news?hl=en&q=venezuela+helicopter&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=X&oi=news_result&resnum=1&ct=title] ]

pecifications (AS 332 L2)

aircraft specifications

plane or copter?=copter
jet or prop?=prop

ref= [Fact|date=November 2007]
crew=2
capacity=24
length main= 16.3 m
length alt= 53 ft 5 in
span main= 15.6 m
span alt= 51 ft 2 in
height main= 4.6 m
height alt= 15 ft 1 in
area main= 191 m²
area alt= 2,056 ft²
airfoil=
empty weight main= 4,460 kg
empty weight alt= 9,812 lb
loaded weight main=
loaded weight alt=
useful load main=
useful load alt=
max takeoff weight main= 8,600 kg
max takeoff weight alt= 18,940 lb
more general=
engine (prop)= Turboméca Makila 1A1
type of prop= turboshafts
number of props=2
power main= 1,357 kW
power alt= 1,819 shp
power original=
max speed main= 278 km/h
max speed alt= 174 mph
cruise speed main=
cruise speed alt=
never exceed speed main=
never exceed speed alt=
range main= 831 km
range alt= 519 mi
ceiling main= 7,200 m
ceiling alt= 19,750 ft
climb rate main= 8.2 m/s
climb rate alt= 1,614 ft/min
loading main=
loading alt=
thrust/weight=
power/mass main=
power/mass alt= 300 W/kg
more performance=
armament=
avionics=

ee also

aircontent
related=
* Aérospatiale Puma
* IAR 330
* Eurocopter AS 532
* Eurocopter EC 225
similar aircraft=
* Sikorsky S-92
lists=
* List of helicopters
* List of utility aircraft
see also=

References

External links