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Aérospatiale SA 330 Puma

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SA 330 Puma
SA 330J Puma of the German Bundesgrenzschutz in 1985
Role Utility helicopter
First flight 15 April 1965
Introduction 1968
Primary users French Army
Royal Air Force
Produced 1968-1987
Number built 697
Variants IAR 330
Atlas Oryx
Eurocopter AS332

The Aérospatiale Puma is a four-bladed, twin-engined medium transport/utility helicopter. The Puma was originally manufactured by Sud Aviation of France under the designation SA.330.

Development

The SA.330 Puma was originally developed by Sud Aviation to meet a requirement of the French Army for a medium-sized all-weather helicopter. The helicopter also had to be capable of operating by day and night as well as in a wide variety of climates.

In 1967, the Puma was also selected by the Royal Air Force (RAF) and given the designation Puma HC Mk.1. As a result of this decision, the SA 330 was included in a joint production agreement between Aerospatiale and Westland Helicopters of the UK, which also resulted in the purchase of Aérospatiale Gazelle by the United Kingdom and the Westland Lynx by France. This resulted in Westland building components for the Puma, and assembling the RAF's Pumas.[1]Cite error: The <ref> tag has too many names (see the help page).

The first of two Puma prototypes flew on 15 April 1965. Six pre-production models were also built, the last of which flew on 30 July 1968. The first production SA 330 Puma flew in September 1968, with deliveries to the French Army starting in early 1969.[2]

Production of the SA 330 Puma by Aérospatiale ceased in 1987,[3] by which time a total of 697 had been sold.[4] The Puma was then replaced by an upgraded and improved version, the Eurocopter AS332 Super Puma.[3]

Variants

Portuguese Air Force Puma in support of a Space Shuttle Recovery Exercise at Lajes Field, Azores.

Aérospatiale versions

SA 330A
Prototypes, originally called "Alouette IV".
SA 330B
Initial production version for the French Army Aviation. Powered by 884  kW (1,185 hp) Turbomeca Turmo IIIC4 engines. 132 purchased by France.[5]
SA 330 "Orchidée"
SA 330 modified to carry an "Orchidée" battlefiled surveillance radar system with a rotating underfuselage antenna, for the French Army. One demonstrator was built, flying in 1986. The Orchidée programme was cancelled in 1990, but the prototype rushed back into service in 1991 to serve in the Gulf War, leading to production of a similar system based on the Eurocopter Cougar.[6]
SA 330C
Initial export production version. Powered by 1,044 kW (1,400 hp) Turmo IVB engines.[7]
SA 330E
Version produced by Westland Helicopters for the RAF under the designation Puma HC Mk. 1.
SA 330F
Initial civilian export production version with Turbomeca Turmo IIIC4 turboshaft engines.[8]
SA 330G
Upgraded civilian version with 1175 kW (1,575 hp) Turbomeca Turmo IVC engines.[8]
SA 330H
Upgraded French Army and export version with Turbomeca IVC engines and composite main rotor blades. Designated SA 330Ba by the French Air Force. All surviving French Army SA 330Bs converted to this standard.[8]
SA 330J
Upgraded civil transport version with composite rotor blades and with higher maximum take-off weight.[9]
SA 330L
Upgraded version for so-called "hot and high" conditions. Military equivalent to civil SA 330J.[9]
SA 330S
Upgraded SA 330L (themselves converted from SA 330C) version for the Portuguese Air Force.Powered by Turbomeca Makila engines.[9]
SA 330Z
Prototype with "fenestron" tail rotor.[10]

Versions by other manufacturers

Atlas Aircraft Corporation Oryx
This is a remanufactured and upgraded SA 330 Puma built for the South African Air Force.
IPTN NAS 330J
This is a version that was assembled by IPTN of Indonesia under the local designation NAS 330J and the Aerospatiale designation of SA 330J. Eleven units were produced.
IAR 330
This is a licence-built version of the SA 330 Puma manufactured by Industria Aeronautică Română of Romania. Designated as the SA 330L by Aerospatiale.
IAR-330 Puma SOCAT
24 modified for antitank warfare.
IAR-330 Puma Naval
3 modified for the Romanian Navy, using the SOCAT avionics.
Westland Puma HC Mk.1
This is the SA 330E version assembled by Westland Helicopters for the RAF and first flown on 25 November 1970. This is basically similar to the SA 330B used by France. The RAF placed an initial order for 40 Pumas in 1967, with a further eight attrition replacement aircraft in 1979.[11] 30 of these are planned to be upgraded to Puma HC Mk.2 standard, with new Turbomeca Makila engines, revised cockpit displays and new communications, navigation and defensive systems.[12][13]

Operators

Military operators

The SA 330J Puma.
Aérospatiale Puma of the 801 Squadron of Spanish Air Force.
RAF Westland SA-330E Puma HC1 at RIAT 2009
Philippine Air Force Puma greeted by US and Philippine Marines at Subic Bay
 Albania
 Argentina
 Belgium
 Brazil
 Cambodia
 Cameroon
 Chad
 Chile
 Ivory Coast
 Democratic Republic of the Congo
 Ecuador
 Ethiopia
 France
 Gabon
 Gambia
 Germany
 Guinea
 Indonesia
 Ireland
 Iran
 Iraq
 Kenya
 Kuwait
 Lebanon
Lebanese Air Force - 4 active, 6 ex-UAE TBD [15]. Additionally 7 SA330L are currently in storage.
 Malawi
 Mexico
 Morocco
 Nepal
 Nigeria
 Oman
 Pakistan
 Philippines
 Portugal
 Romania
 Senegal
Slovenia Slovenia
 South Africa
  • South African Air Force:
    • On the 31 January 1972 the SAAF Puma became involved with operations in Namibia and Angola, remaining involved until 1988. This first deployment to the Eastern Caprivi led to the first member of the SAAF to be awarded the Honoris Crux, one of several to be awarded to Puma crews. The Puma was to be involved in normal trooping, rapid deployment during “follow up” operations, radio relay, evacuation of casualties, rescuing downed aircrew, insertion of Special Forces (Ops Backlash and Kodak etc.) and large scale cross border operations such as Savannah, Uric, Protea, Super, Moduler etc. The Puma also saw action in Rhodesia, Zambia, Botswana and Mozambique.
    • 13 Pumas were deployed and played a critical roles in the rescue efforts during the sinking of the MTS Oceanos
 Spain
 Sudan
 Togo
 United Arab Emirates
 United Kingdom
 Venezuela
 Zaire

Civil operators

 Germany

Helog KG - SA 330J

 South Africa

Starlite Aviation - SA 330J

 United States

Evergreen Aviation - SA 330J

Specifications (SA 330H Puma)

Data from Jane's All The World's Aircraft 1976-77 [18]

General characteristics

  • Crew: 3
  • Capacity: 16 passengers
  • Length: 18.15 m (59 ft 6½ in)
  • Rotor diameter: 15.00 m (49 ft 2½ in)
  • Height: 5.14 m (16 ft 10½ in)
  • Disc area: 177.0 m² (1,905 ft²)
  • Empty weight: 3,536 kg (7,795 lb)
  • Max takeoff weight: 7,000 kg (15,430 lb)
  • Powerplant: 2× Turboméca Turmo IVC turboshafts, 1,175 kW (1,575 hp) each

Performance

Armament

In Red Dawn (1984) and most notably Rambo: First Blood Part II (1985) and Rambo III (1988), an SA-330 Puma was equipped with stub wings and a gun turret to mimic a Soviet Mil Mi-24 Hind[19].

See also

Related development

Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era

Related lists

References

  1. ^ Lake 2001, pp. 97–98.
  2. ^ J W R Taylor 1976, p.41.
  3. ^ a b Lake 2001, p.100.
  4. ^ J W R Taylor 1988, p.57.
  5. ^ Lake 2001, p.101.
  6. ^ Lake 2001, p.104.
  7. ^ Lake 2001, p.102.
  8. ^ a b c Lake 2001, p.103.
  9. ^ a b c Lake 2001, p.105.
  10. ^ Lake 2001, p.106.
  11. ^ a b Lake 2001, pp.102—103.
  12. ^ Eurocopter leads Homeland Security Market in the United Kingdom and strongly supports the British Armed Forces. Helicopter Association International - Rotor.com. 11 July 2008. Retrieved 23 December 2008.
  13. ^ RAF gets funds for more Reaper UAVs, Puma upgrade. Flightglobal. 5 September 2008. Retrieved 23 December 2008.
  14. ^ MilAviaPress: Order of Battle - Kenya (Updated May 2009)
  15. ^ "الامارات تمنح لبنان عشر طائرات مروحية "بوما" جاهزة للتسليم فورا" (in Arabic). El-Nashra. February 10, 2009. Retrieved 2009-02-10.
  16. ^ "World's Air Forces" Flight International, 5–11 December 1990, p.76.
  17. ^ They operated in Northern Ireland, Gulf war, Bosnia, Kosovo and Iraq. Abstracts:Ex-SAAF Pumas for UK Royal Air Force. Internet FAQ Archives. Retrieved 23 December 2008.
  18. ^ J W R Taylor 1976, pp.41—42.
  19. ^ Rotary Action
  • James, Derek N. Westland Aircraft since 1915. London:Putnam, 1991. ISBN 085177 847 X.
  • Lake, Jon. "Variant File: Aérospatiale SA 330 Puma". International Air Power Review, Volume 2 Autumn/Fall 2001. Norwalk, CT, USA: AIRtime Publishing. ISBN 1-880588-34-X. ISSN 1473-9917. pp. 96–107.
  • Taylor, John W R (ed.) Jane's All the World's Aircraft 1976-77. London: Macdonald and Jane's, 1976. ISBN 0 354 000538 3.
  • Taylor, John W R. (ed.). Jane's All the World's Aircraft 1988-89. Coulsdon, Surrey, UK: Jane's Information Group, 1988. ISBN 07106-0867-5.
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