Shrieking Gazelles

[Savoia]

Avia member XB departing in the X-Craft!

[Savoia]

More Gaz Vids ..

Super-low Gaz fly past at Ravan Airport (Čačak-Preljina) in Serbia. (Watch from 2:08)

Don't sneeze while doing that!

[Savoia]

I've discussed with Zishelix about posting some of the Gazelles which appeared on the old Nostalgia Thread and putting them here on his dedicated Gaz thread, and he agrees that this would be fitting. So, I shall intersperse a selection of these from time-to-time.

For those who have already seen them, please accept our apologies while for those who haven't, we hope you enjoy them.


Kenneth McAlpine's SA341G Gazelle G-BBSI as seen at London's Westland Heliport in Battersea in April 1977 (Photo: Brian Bickers)

Wearing the emblem of the Air Squadron on the fin and of which Kenneth was a member along with founders Tony Everard and Johnny Moss.

[Zishelix]

Such a rare bird deserves to be shown in different places!

Now, one from me:



I'm sorry but the guy 'attached' himself to the skid making it impossible for me to remove him from the photo!

[Savoia]

Such a rare bird deserves to be shown in different places!

Quite!

I'm sorry but the guy 'attached' himself to the skid making it impossible for me to remove him from the photo!

Hmm .. he looks strangely familiar!

Don't remember you posting that Gaz before, but she's a nice one. I think I also have a photo of her. Will have a browse through my album and see.

Some photos taken from a Serbian Army Gazelle over the current flooding in Serbia:









(Photos courtesy of the Serbian Army media department).

XB, are you able to identify the two red lights which are showing on the panel?

[xbdt]

Savoia, upper right lamp is PITOT OFF, lamp below it is BATT TEMP. This means that the battery reached a temp of 72°C or more. It could be a fault also.

If the BATT TEMP lamp goes on, the Generator should be turned OFF.

[Savoia]

Grazie XB.

Is that pitot heat?

[xbdt]

Yes the Gazelle has a pitot heater. The lamp is ON when the pitot heater has been switched OFF.

[Savoia]

Okay thanks.

The 206 also has a pitot heater. I don't recall the exact temperature at which one was meant to active it - I seem to recall something about having it on in the rain or falling snow but most of the time it was off.

Does this mean that in the Gaz you must fly with a red light illuminated on the panel most of the time?

[xbdt]

Yes exactly; I replaced the red indicator with a green one. I never fly with the pitot switched ON. I'll only switch it on at low outside temps (below 5°C OAT).

[Savoia]

Yes exactly; I replaced the red indicator with a green one.

You are obviously a sensible man XB!

I think I would be inclined to do the same .. and perhaps even to reverse the relay so that the light only illuminated when the switch is in the 'ON' position.

Zis, here is another shot of your Gaz ..


Soko SA342L S5-HCR landing at Lesce-Bled Airport in Slovenia on 9th June 2002 (Photo: Milan Korbar)

One sees that the owner has painted the tailrotor driveshaft. It think this may be the first time I've seen that on a Gaz (or at least in a bright colour)!

[Savoia]

Gaz to the rescue .. in Serbia!

Well done guys!

[Savoia]

SA341G Gazelle N565F as seen at Paris Issy les Moulineaux Heliport on 16th November 2003 (Photo: Antoine Grondeau)

[Zishelix]

The N565F has a decent looking cabin interior as well



Of course, she changed her "dressing" in the meantime


(Photo taken at Glasgow Intl. on 14th Jan06 by Mark McEwan)

[Savoia]

Yes, that's a tidy interior.


The Gazelle Squadron Flying Group SA341C HT2 Westland Gazelle (formerly Army Air Corps XX436) as seen over RAF Abingdon on 3rd May 2014 (Photo: Michael de Boer)

Photographed from Shorts Skyvan G-PIGY.

[Gary Gazelle]

341C/HT2, so formerly Royal Navy, not Army Air Corps

[Savoia]

Iain Mackenzie's SA341G stretched Gazelle G-OGAZ as seen at Fairoaks on 15th May 2014 (Photo: David Reeves)

[Zishelix]

Serbian Police Forces SA.342L; c/n 1830; delivered in June 1980 to the Iraqi Air Force; donated to Shiite Militia in Lebanon mid-80's; sold to Yugoslavia (Serbia) in 1991.

[Savoia]

Nice photo.

Iraq's involvement seems to be an ever-present factor in many of the regional conflicts with Iraqi Shiite militia supposedly fighting alongside Assad's troops in Syria at present - but I don't think they have donated any aviation assets. Instead these seem to have come from Russia.

More Gazelles to Lebanon ..


An ex-UAE Air Force SA342 Gazelle (still in desert camouflage) being offloaded from an An-124 upon arrival in Beirut in 2007

I am not sure if this too was donated to Lebanon or whether it was part of a formal sales agreement.

[Zishelix]

... these seem to have come from Russia.

No, they've just hired one of those Volga-Dnepr Airlines' heavy-lifter to bring them there.

... not sure if this too was donated to Lebanon or whether it was part of a formal sales agreement.

It was a donation http://www.uaeinteract.com/docs/UAE_...nger/42709.htm

For a wealthy friend, few helicopters more or less doesn't makes a difference

[Savoia]

No, they've just hired one of those Volga-Dnepr Airlines' heavy-lifter to bring them there.

Sorry - was referring to Iraqi donations to Syria and that helicopters for the Syrian government seem to have come from Russia.

It was a donation http://www.uaeinteract.com/docs/UAE_...nger/42709.htm

Thanks for the info.

I think this 'may' have been one of the UAE Gazelles sent to Lebanon:


UAE Air Force SA342L '137' (cn 1759) as seen as Al Ain (Buraymi West) Airport on 30th January 2007 (Photo: Berry Vissers)

The photographer reports that this shot was taken after the Gaz had been in storage for several years.

[Zishelix]

was referring to Iraqi donations to Syria and that helicopters for the Syrian government seem to have come from Russia.

Oops, my fault

Re c/n 1759, this is how she looks now

[Zishelix]

A desktop model by SilverWings from Greece. Basically silver plated 1:48 Fujimi scale model... good looking although not very accurate

[Savoia]

Re: 1759, nice angle!

However, and as we've said before elsewhere, the Gaz certainly looks better with skid fairings - especially when she's on 'highs'.

It seems these donated Gazelles were repainted and deployed pretty smartly once they arrived from the UAE. One sees (at least on 1759) that as well as fitting high skids they also did away with the sand filter.


Lebanese Air Force Gazelle used in a rocket attack against the Nahr El Bared refugee camp in northern Lebanon in 2007

You may read more about the incident in the above photo here.

Regarding the SilverWings model .. I don't think you could get much more detail using silver plate unless the model was much larger .. I think it looks fabulous!

[Savoia]

Quintin Milne's SA341D G-VOIP at Alicante's Muchamiel Airport in April 2013 (Photo: Marcos Sawade)

To see G-VOIP manoeuvering at Castellón Airport in the east of Spain see page 8.

[Savoia]

Slovenian Gazelle used to assist in flood relief operations.


This Slovenian Gazelle was pictured loading medicine and water on 19th May 2014 and was destined for the flood-hit region of Bijeljina, in Banja Luka, capital of Republika Srpska, an entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina

[Zishelix]

I think you will find that E7-AAB is on the Bosnia and Herzegovina register as Slovenian aircraft are prefixed with S5.

[Savoia]

Grazie Zis!

More stretched Gaz ..


SA341G (cn 1417) G-OGEO as seen at Dundee Airport, Scotland on 19th May 2004 (Photo: Arabjazzie)

Formerly F-GEQA.

[Zishelix]

Formerly F-GEQA.

Indeed… as well as formerly N47295, N341SG, G-BRGS & G-OCJR (btw, registration N341P allocated but not taken back in 1978). Due to mechanical problems force landed 16 miles North of Edinburgh in May 1999 damaging fuselage (for more details see AAIB Bulletin No:10/99 Ref: EW/G99/05/18)

[GazEngineer]

They are the previous reg's of G-OGAZ. One of G-OGEO reg's was G-BXJK

[Savoia]

Ciao Zis!

The AAIB Bulletin to which you make reference seems to refer to G-OGAZ (pictured in post #406).

The bulletin speaks about a failed freewheel support bearing.

XB, do you have a photo of a freewheel support bearing (or perhaps can you describe it). Is it common for these bearings to fail in the Gazelle?

[Zishelix]

The AAIB Bulletin to which you make reference seems to refer to G-OGAZ

Doh, I mada a mistake... I refeer about c/n 1274 G-OGAZ instead of c/n 1417 G-OGEO

Btw, G-OGEO never had F-GEQA reg. She was N49536, N341AT, F-GEHC & G-BXJK