Aérospatiale Super Frelon
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| SA 321 Super Frelon | |
|---|---|
 A Super Frelon helicopter n°165 of the 32F Wing flying over Portsmouth |
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| Type | Heavy military transport helicopter |
| Manufacturer | Aérospatiale |
| Maiden flight | 7 December 1962 |
| Introduced | 1966 |
| Primary user | French military |
| Number built | 99 |
The Aérospatiale SA 321 Super Frelon is a heavy transport helicopter produced by Aérospatiale of France. The helicopter is still in use in China where the locally produced version is known as the Z-8. "Frelon" is French for a large European hornet.
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[edit] Development
Both civilian and military versions of the Super Frelon were built, with the military variants being the most numerous by far, entering service with the French military as well as being exported to Israel, South Africa, Libya, China and Iraq.
Three military variants were produced: military transport, anti-submarine and anti-ship.
The transport version is able to carry 38 equipped troops, or alternatively 15 stretchers for casualty evacuation tasks.
The Naval anti-submarine and anti-ship variants are usually equipped with a navigation and search radar (ORB-42), and a 50 metre rescue cable. They are most often fitted with a 20 mm cannon, counter-measures, night vision, a laser designator and a Personal Locator System. It can also be refueled in flight.
[edit] Variants
- SA 3200 Frelon
- Prototype.
- SA 321
- Pre-production aircraft. Four built.
- SA 321G
- Anti-submarine warfare version for the French Navy.
- SA 321Ga
- Utility and assault transport helicopter for the French Navy.
- SA 321GM
- Export version for Libya, fitted with an Omera ORB-32WAS radar.
- SA 321H
- Export version for Iraq, powered by three Turbomeca Turmo IIIE turboshaft engines, fitted with an Omera ORB-31D search radar, and armed with Exocet anti-ship missiles.
- SA 321F
- Commercial airline helicopter.
- SA 321J
- Commercial transport helicopter.
- SA 321Ja
- Improved version of the SA.321J.
- SA 321K
- Export version for Israel.
- SA 321L
- Export version for South Africa.
- SA 321M
- Search and rescue, utility transport helicopter for Libya.
- Changhe Z-8
- Chinese built version.
- Changhe Z-8A
- army transport
- Changhe Z-8F
- Chinese built version with Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6B-67A turboshaft engines
[edit] Operators
[edit] Military Operators
- People's Liberation Army Air Force operates Jingdezhen (Z-8) variant.
[edit] Civil operators
- BAT
[edit] Specifications (Naval Super Frelon)
This aircraft article is missing some (or all) of its specifications. If you have a source, you can help Wikipedia by adding them.General characteristics
- Crew: 5
- Capacity:
- 27 passengers or
- 15 stretchers
- Length: 23.03 m (75 ft 6.7 in)
- Rotor diameter: 18.90 m (62 ft)
- Height: 6.66 m (22 ft 2.1 in)
- Disc area: 1,122 m² (12,080 ft²)
- Empty weight: 6,863 kg (15,130 lb)
- Max takeoff weight: 13,000 kg (28,660 lb)
- Powerplant: 3× Turboméca Turmo IIIC turboshafts, 1,171 kW (1,570 hp) each
Performance
- Maximum speed: 248 km/h (134 knots, 154 mph)
- Range: 1,000 km (540 nm, 620 mi)
- Endurance: 4 hr
- Service ceiling m (ft)
- Rate of climb: 5 m/s (985 ft/min)
Armament
- Guns: 1× 20 mm (0.787 in) cannon
- Missiles:
- 4× homing torpedoes in the ASW role or
- 2× Exocet missiles in the anti-ship role
[edit] See also
Comparable aircraft
Related lists
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