EUROCOPTER SA 341/342 GAZELLE
nnnnnnThe
Gazelle was developed because of the Anglo-French agreement of 1967, and it
was designed during the mid 60's, fitting the new fan-in-the-fin "Fenestrom",
with a three-blade rigid main rotor. Most part of the Gazelle production was
for unarmed models, but up to 40 of the 157 ordered by the French Army were
re-designed to carry four HOT (Euromissile AT missile). Another 60 or so can
carry a 20 mm cannon. In 1992 the Yugoslavian civil War stopped the Gazelle's
production in Mostar, today, Bosnia-Herzegovina by Soko. Serbs used Aerospatiale
Gazelles (SA 341H and SA 342L variants ) armed with 9M14M Malutka and 9M32M
Striela missiles (named GAMA) and in unarmed versions (named HERA) . There are
many sub-variants, all of them for AT purposes .
TECH
DATA: Dimensions: Length: 40 ft. Height: 10 ft. Diameter of the Main Rotor:
34 ft. Weights: Empty: 2.200 lbs. Mission: 4.700 lb. Overload: - Powerplant:
1 x 640 KW Turbomeca
Astazou XIV M2 Turboshaft. (858 shp).
Armament:
Up to 1600 lb. of ordenance. Including Mistral AAMs or gun pods, or rocket pods.
Performance: Never-Exceed-Speed:
195 mph. Max. Cruising Speed: 160 mph. Max. Climb Rate. 1700 ft/min. Ceiling:
16.500 ft.
