The Gazelle is a helicopter developed as part of an Anglo-French venture between the Westland and Aérospatiale companies in 1968. A helicopter is an aircraft which is lifted and propelled by one or more large horizontal rotors (propellers). ... The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a country in western Europe, and member of the Commonwealth of Nations, the G8, the European Union, and NATO. Usually known simply as the United Kingdom, the UK, or (inaccurately) as Great Britain or Britain, the UK has four constituent... The French Republic or France (French: République française or France) is a country whose metropolitan territory is located in western Europe, and which is further made up of a collection of overseas islands and territories located in other continents. ... Westland Aircraft was a British aircraft manufacturer located in Yeovil in Somerset, formed just before the start of World War II. During the war the company produced a number of generally unsuccessful designs, but their Lysander would serve as an important liaison aircraft with the RAF. After the war the... The Aérospatiale Corvette first flew in 1970 and went into service in 1974. ... 1968 was a leap year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1968 calendar). ...

One of the fastest helicopters ever built, it served with all four branches of the British armed forces - RAF, Royal Navy, Army and Royal Marines - filling 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 HT3 in RAF service, and was equipped as a helicopter pilot trainer. The SA341E was used for communications duties and VIP transport and was designated Gazelle HCC4. The SA 341C was also purchased for the British Armed Forces as a pilot trainer for the Royal Navy. The SA 341B was equipped to a specification for the Army Air Corps. It has provided combat service for the British in the Falkland Islands, Kuwait, Iraq and Kosovo. In French ALAT service, variants are also equipped with the Mistrale Air to Air missile and the 20 mm cannon. Royal Navy Ensign The Royal Navy is the navy of the United Kingdom. ... The Army Air Corps is a vital component of the British Army. ... The Falkland Islands are an archipelago in the South Atlantic consisting of two main islands, East Falkland and West Falkland, and a number of smaller islands. ...

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

Gazelles were also manufactured in Egypt by ABHCO. The Arab Republic of Egypt, commonly known as Egypt, (in Arabic: مصر, romanized Miṣr or Maṣr, in Egyptian dialect) is a republic mostly located in north-eastern Africa. ... The Arab British Helicopter Company (ABHCO) is a British-Egyptian joint venture which manufactures the Westland Gazelle under licence in Egypt. ...

Specifications (SA 341)

General Characteristics

• Crew: two
• Length: 9.53 m (31 ft 3 in)
• Main rotor diameter: 10.50 m (34 ft 5 in)
• Height: 3.18 m (10 ft 5 in)
• Main rotor area: 87 m² (932 ft²)
• Empty: 998 kg (2,196 lb)
• Loaded: kg ( lb)
• Maximum takeoff: 1,800 kg (3,960 lb)
• Powerplant: 1x Turbomeca Astazou IIIB turboshaft, 590 shp (440kW) each

Turboshaft engines are a type of jet engine, differing from the similar turboprop largely in name and use -- turboshaft engines are used in helicopters, the name referring to the way the torque of the engine drives the power shaft at 90 degrees to the engine mounting. ...

Performance

• Maximum speed: 310 km/h (193 mph)
• Range: 670 km (419 miles)
• Service ceiling: 4,100 m (13,448 ft)
• Rate of climb: 732 m/min (2,400 ft/min)
• Main rotor loading: kg/m² ( lb/ft²)
• Power/Mass: kW/kg ( hp/lb)

External links

• British Army Gazelle page (http://www.army.mod.uk/equipment/ac/ab_gzh.htm)
• British Army Air Corps? Helicopter Display Team (http://www.deltaweb.co.uk/eagles/helo.htm)

Related content

Related development:

Comparable aircraft:

Designation sequence: SA 341 - SA 342

Films

The Gazelle was best known as a modified high-tech attack helicopter in the 1982 action-thriller Blue Thunder. 1982 is a number and represents a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar Events January-February January 6 - William Bonin is convicted of being the freeway killer. January 8 - AT&T agrees to divest itself of twenty-two subdivisions January 11 - Mark Thatcher, son of the British... Blue Thunder is the name of a 1983 high-tech helicopter movie directed by John Badham and starring Roy Scheider. ...