Aérospatiale Gazelle

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This article is about the helicopter. See also Gazelle (disambiguation) for other uses.

The Gazelle is a helicopter developed as part of an Anglo-French venture between the Westland and Aérospatiale companies in 1968. One of the fastest helicopters ever built, it served with all branches of the British armed forces - the Royal Air Force, Royal Navy including Royal Marines and the British Army in a variety of roles. It served with other forces worldwide. Four versions of the Gazelle were used by the British Forces. The SA341D became the Gazelle HT.3 in RAF service, equipped as a helicopter pilot trainer (hence HT). The SA 341E was used for communications duties and VIP transport and as the Gazelle HCC.4. The SA 341C was purchased for as the Gazelle HT.2 pilot trainer for the Royal Navy. The SA 341B was equipped to a specification for the Army Air Corps as the Gazelle AH.1 (from Attack Helicopter Mark 1).

It has served the British in combat in the Falkland Islands, Kuwait, Iraq and Kosovo. In French ALAT service, variants are also equipped with the Mistral air-to-air missile and a 20 mm cannon.

It was used for anti-tank helicopter operations and also for a wide variety of supporting roles - Air Observation Post (AOP) for directing artillery fire, Airborne Forward Air Controller (ABFAC) directing ground-attack aircraft, casualty evacuation, liaison, and command and control, and communications relay.

Gazelles were also manufactured in Egypt by ABHCO and in Yugoslavia by SOKO.

A Gazelle starred as a modified high-tech attack helicopter in the 1982 action-thriller film Blue Thunder. Also, was seen in Rambo III as a light attack Russian helicopter.

Variants

• SA-341.001 - Prototype.
• SA-341.1001 - First French production machine.
• SA-341B Westland Gazelle AH1 - British Army
• SA-341C Westland Gazelle HT2 - British Fleet Air Arm - Training Helicopter
• SA-341D Westland Gazelle HT3 - British Royal Air Force - Training Helicopter
• SA-341E Westland Gazelle HCC4 - British Royal Air Force - Liaison Helicopter
• SA-341F - French Army version.
• SA-341G - Civil variant, powered by one Astazou IIIA turboshaft engine.
• SA-341H - Military export variant, powered by one Astazou IIIB turboshaft engine.
• SA-341M - French Army version fitted with the more powerful 649-kW (870-shp) Astazou XIV turboshaft engine.
• SA-342J - Civil variant, fitted with the more powerful 649-kW (870-shp) Astazou XIV turboshaft engine.
• SA-342K - Military export version, fitted with the more powerful 649-kW (870-shp) Astazou XIV turboshaft engine.
• SA-342L - French Army - Military version of the SA 342J civil model, fitted with the more powerful 649-kW (870-shp) Astazou XIV turboshaft engine.
• SA-342M - French Army - Anti-tank Helicopter, it can be armed with four HOT anti-tank missiles.
• SA-342M1 - standard SA-342M retrofitted with three Ecureuil main blades and received some minor modifications concerning its weight balance, in order to integrate a night sighting unit.

• Soko H-42 - Yugoslav-built version of SA-341H
• Soko H-45 - Yugoslav-built version of SA-342L

Military Operators

• Angola, Burundi, Cameroon, China(PRC), Cyprus, Ecuador, Egypt, France, Gabon, ,Greece (Hellenic Navy), Guinea, Iraq, Ireland, Jordan, Kenya, Kuwait, Lebanon, Morocco, Qatar, Rwanda, Senegal, Slovenia, Syria, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom (Army Air Corps, Royal Air Force, Royal Navy), Yugoslavia,

Specifications (SA 341)

External links

• [British Army Gazelle page]
• [British Army Air Corps? Helicopter Display Team]

Related content

 

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