Photograph:
Aerospatiale AS 355A2 Fennec serial 210 at the RSAF Museum in Singapore (David C Eyre)
Country of origin:
France
Description:
General purpose military light attack helicopter
Power Plant:
Two 340 kw (456 shp) Turbomeca TM 319 Arrius 1M turboshafts
Specifications:
- Length overall: 12.94 m (42 ft 5½ in)
- Fuselage length: 10.93 (35 ft)
- Height overall: 3.34 m (10 ft 11½ in)
- Skid track: 2.28 m (7 ft 5¾ in)
- Main rotor diameter: 10.89 m (35 ft 0¾ in)
- Tail rotor diameter: 1.86 m (6 ft 1¼ in)
- Main rotor disc area: 89.75 m² (966.09 sq ft)
- Never exceed speed: 278 km/h (172 mph)
- Max cruising speed at sea level: 225 km/h (140 mph)
- Operational radius on SAR mission: 129 km (80 miles)
- Endurance with two torpedoes: one hour
- Endurance with one torpedo or one cannon: 2 hrs 20 mins
- Max range: 722 km (448 miles)
- Fuel capacity: 730 litres (160.6 Imp gals)
- Empty weight: 1,382 kg (3,046 lb)
- Normal loaded weight: 2,540 kg (5,600 lb)
- Max loaded weight: 2,600 kg (5,732 lb)
- Sling capacity: 1,160 kg (2,557 lb)
Armament:
Provision for one 20 mm Giat M621 cannon; FN Herstal TMP twin 7.62 mm (0.3 in) and 12.7 mm (0.5 in) machine guns; Thomson Brandt launchers for 68 mm rockets; ESCO Helitow anti-tank missiles
History:
The Aerospatiale AS 350 Ecureuil was designed for the civil market, the prototype (F-WVKH) being flown for the first time on 27 June 1974 with a Lycoming LTS 101 turboshaft, being followed by the second prototype (F-WVKI) with a Turbomeca Arriel 1A engine. The first production version of the Fennec was the AS 355E with two 313 kw (320 shp) Allison turboshafts, followed by the AS 355F with wide-chord rotor blades. The twin-engined version was initially known as the AS 355M but this was changed to AS 555 in January 1990. By February 2001 the 3,000th machine in the series had been completed and delivered, and the major operator of the type was the French Air Force.
The Fenec was built in a range of models to meet military operator requirements. The AS 550NC Fennec was a variant for Army use for operations against light tanks, being armed with four TOW missiles and having the 632 kw (847 shp) Arriel 2B engine. The AS 550A3 was a light attack variant with the Arriel 2B engine and had a taller undercarriage, sliding doors, NVG compatible cockpit, reinforcing of the airframe, armoured seats and engine cowlings, and could be fitted with a 20 mm cannon or two rocket launchers.
The AS 550U3 had the Arriel 2B engine and was aimed at operators requiring a machine for observation and transport duties. The engines were controlled by FADEC, the transmission being rated at 500 kw (670 shp). The type was assembled in Brazil as the HB 355F2 Esquilo. Some have been operated as VIP transports. A number were supplied to the Brazil Navy as the UH-12B. Naval variants were also built, including the AS 555SR, AS 555AR with cannon or rocket armament, and the AS 555 MR utility model.
One operator of the military variant was the Singapore Defence Force, which received ten AS 550Bs and ten AS 550C2s. These remained in service for some years until retired in the mid 2000s and were sold to civil operators. A number were imported to Bankstown, NSW by International Air Parts for overhaul and sale, one, an AS 550A2, becoming VH-ADU (c/n 2309/HB1135 – ex EB-1015) to the IAP Group Australia on 15 May 2007. Another was restored in Melbourne, VIC by Rotor Services and exported to Cambodia where it entered service with the Sokha Resort as XU-555 (ex 212).