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**Zishelix** · 12th February 2015, 10:28

An F-16 vs Gazelle, like a hawk against sparrow - but in war (and life in generally, I'd say) only the final score matter.

However, more nostalgia photos:

**Savoia** · 13th February 2015, 08:30

Lovely to see the delightful F-WTNA .. one of my favourites, after G-BCHM!

Can we assume that "NA" was the first production Gazelle?

SA341 (cn 1001) F-WTNA as seen at Madrid–Torrejón Airport in 1972 (Photo: Juan Gonzalez)

Some records associate this airframe with prototype #3. Any verification of this?

**Zishelix** · 13th February 2015, 09:01

Originally posted by Savoia View Post

Can we assume that "NA" was the first production Gazelle?

Correct, F-WIEP/WTNA was the first serially produced Gazelle.

Originally posted by Savoia View Post

Some records associate this airframe with prototype #3

Nope, pre-production machine #03 was F-ZWRI/XW276, a trial prototype for Yeovil's production line.

**Savoia** · 13th February 2015, 20:25

Grazie Zis!

Looking forward to (hopefully) uncovering more photos of F-WTNA in the future.

SA342J(S) Gazelle C-GVWC (cn 1473) as seen in Nemiscau, Québec, in 1979 (Photo: Marc Savard)

Helicopter pilot Marc Savard has kindly contributed this photo to Avifora and says:

This photo was taken while I was flying on a survey contract for Hydro Québec. At the time they were constructing a 735 KV power line coming down from James Bay.

I very much enjoyed flying the Gazelle. It was fast, and had no bulkhead in the cabin, making it easier for loading and unloading.

The helicopter belonged to Olympic Helicopters, who had two Gazelles in their fleet.

- Marc Savard

Our thanks to Marc for this great nostalgic photo!

**Savoia** · 14th February 2015, 09:06

More Canadian Gaz ..

SA341G C-FEDG (cn 1181) as seen in Latornell (south of Grande Prairie) in Alberta on 14th December 1978 (Photo: Steve Aubury)

This craft belonged to Ed Darvill Copters of St. Albert in Alberta.

**Savoia** · 14th February 2015, 09:39

From Canada with love ..

SA341G(S) C-FWYN (cn 1308) as seen at Vancouver Harbour Heliport, in March 1990 (Photo: M. MacGowan)

Owned by the Coulson Group, aka Coulson Aircrane.

**Savoia** · 14th February 2015, 18:43

Another black and yellow Canadian Gazelle .. and which has appeared previously on Aviafora:

SA341G C-FEMF (cn 1058) as seen at Vancouver International Airport in February 1981 (Photo: Gary Vincent)

SA342J Gazelle C-FEMF (cn 1058) belonging to Caterpillar dealer 'Finning Tractor' as seen at Vancouver International Airport in March 1987 (Photo: Mike Head)

And one non-black and yellow example:

Timberland Helicopters SA341G C-GOCA (cn 1072) as seen at Courtenay Airpark, British Columbia on 6th July 2004 (Photo: Jason Pineau)

Zis, I see that I've got C-FEMF listed variously as a 341 and a 342. Is this just an error on my part, or was she upgraded to a 342? In the 1981 shot, it 'looks' as though she's fitted with an Astazou III (with the separate oil cooler pipe).

**Zishelix** · 14th February 2015, 19:07

That's right, s/n 1058 was originally produced as a 341G but later upgraded to a 342J.

Speaking of 342's, check out the nice angle in this photo of LFQ:

SA342L (s/n 1854) HA-LFQ taken at Breighton on July 15th, 2007 (Photo: Chris Procter)

**Savoia** · 15th February 2015, 17:37

Ah Zis, are you forgetting that Steve has just had to say goodbye to "Q" and is probably still missing her!

But it's a nice shot!

Steve, did LFQ have a chrome exhaust at that time, or was it just new? Looks nice!

**Savoia** · 16th February 2015, 08:19

**Savoia** · 16th February 2015, 09:27

SA341 F-WTNV (cn 1006) at an unspecified location in 1973

**Zishelix** · 16th February 2015, 09:43

This photo was taken at Le Bourget Airport, during the Paris Air Show in June '73.

**Savoia** · 16th February 2015, 20:07

Grazie Zis!

Check out 'Black Pete' photographed yesterday in Belgium:

.................................................. ................

SA341G(S) YU-HVZ (cn 1295) as seen at Kortrijk-Wevelgem International Airport on 15th February 2015 (Photo: Raymond De Clercq)

**Savoia** · 17th February 2015, 18:40

Seeing as Zis brought up LFQ .. a brief look at her before she became a Crabtree Gaz:

Irish Air Corps SA342L Gazelle '241' (cn 1854) as seen at RAF Cottesmore (date unknown)

**Savoia** · 18th February 2015, 08:18

Cn: 1473, which appears in post #874 above, seems to have been delivered new to Canada. At some point she made her way back to France and became F-WXFX and then F-GGTJ (below):

SA342J(S) F-GGTJ (cn 1473) as seen in Saint-Ouen-l'Aumône, France, on 24th May 1996 (Photo: Erik Frikke)

**Zishelix** · 18th February 2015, 10:03

Originally posted by Savoia View Post

Seeing as Zis brought up LFQ .. a brief look at her before she became a Crabtree Gaz:

Nice one, Sav.

"241" had a sister ship, "237" which was sadly lost in August 2002.

SA342L "237" (cn 1772) at Casement, Baldonnel in July 25th, 2002 (Photo: David O'Riordan)

It suffered engine failure during a routine training flight and made an emergency landing in a field close to its base at Baldonnel. After skidding for several hundred yards, the skids dug into soft mud, the nose and main rotors impacted the ground and the helicopter flipped over onto it's starboard side. Neither the instructor or student was seriously injured, thank God.

**Zishelix** · 18th February 2015, 10:33

Originally posted by Savoia View Post

Irish Air Corps SA342L Gazelle '241' (cn 1854) as seen at RAF Cottesmore (date unknown)

Oh, the photo was taken during The Royal International Air Tatoo (RIAT) on July 29th, 2001.

**Savoia** · 18th February 2015, 18:41

Grazie Zis!

Btw, you have an AW139 heading your way!

More 1473:

12 years after the photo in post #885, cn 1473 is seen as G-TOPZ in the UK:

SA342J(S) G-TOPZ (cn 1473) as seen at Stapleford Aerodrome on 1st March 2008 (Photo: Keith Sowter)

Probably taken at the MW Helicopters hangar.

**Savoia** · 19th February 2015, 08:21

Originally posted by md600driver View Post

She is now on the Serbian register. Afaik

Indeed, and now flying as a sister ship to 'Black Pete'!

SA342J(S) YU-HPZ (cn 1473) as seen at Manchester Barton Aerodrome on 23rd May 2012 (Photo: Shaun Connor)

While on the subject of black 342's ..

Ex-Crabtree SA342L ZU-RHH (cn 1787) as seen at Grand Central Airport, South Africa in 2012

**Zishelix** · 19th February 2015, 09:36

Yes, am looking forward to seeing the new Police 139.

Here's my two cents on the black Gazelles theme:

Demobbed UK Army's WA341B (cn 1208) in USA during 2009 before she became Philippine RP-C77

**Savoia** · 20th February 2015, 09:14

Army Air Corps SA341B XW843 (cn WA1004) as seen at Groningen Airport, Eelde, in the Netherlands on 13th January 1984 (Photo: Bert Visser)

This British Army Gaz was assigned to 2 Flt, and was (from what I can discover), the second Gazelle to be delivered to the Army. Unfortunately, 1004 was involved in the only ever Gazelle 'ice skating' accident, when she slid into another Gazelle on 25th February 1990, in a formation landing during cold weather training exercises in Floro, Norway.

Sticking with the XW's, this taken on Tuesday ..

SA341B XW865 (cn 1119) as seen at Army Air Corps Middle Wallop on 17th February 2015 (Photo: Howard Curtis)

**Savoia** · 20th February 2015, 18:56

L'armée de Terre SA341F CWF (cn 1172) as seen at Phalsbourg-Bourscheid (Camp La Horie) on 25th June 1989 (Photo: Fred Willemsen)

**Savoia** · 22nd February 2015, 08:26

Westland advertising art (1973)

British Army Gazelle, Carlisle town centre, 20th February 2015

Yugo Gaz YU-HEC (no further details)

**Zishelix** · 22nd February 2015, 18:06

In 1972 Aerospatiale sent F-WTNA to the UK on a demonstration tour during which the aircraft made several flights into London Heliport and attended the Farnborough Airshow.

Reports state that potential customers were impressed with the aircraft's performance and were further encouraged by the promise of local technical support from Westland who were assembling the type. Westland adopted the slogan "Go Gazelle" and which became a distinctive feature of their advertising campaign, and was also applied to some of their production aircraft.

Re: YU-HEC, this is an SA342L, and is used by the Police (Special Operations).

**Zishelix** · 22nd February 2015, 19:24

F-BXPG s/n 1073, which featured in French TV show La Chasse aux Trésors (Treasure Hunt) broadcast between 1981 & '85.

**Savoia** · 23rd February 2015, 08:24

Grazie Zis!

This one is for you; French Gaz in Croatia during the IFOR ops in 1996:

Check out the nice steady hover after lift off.

**Savoia** · 24th February 2015, 08:48

North American Gaz ..

SA341G(S) N2TV (cn 1392) flying Stateside as 'Chopper 2', possibly taken in the 1990's

Note the camera hanging from the cabin ceiling, and also the modified rear window, presumably to enable the same camera to poke its lens out!

Now flying in Blighty as HA-PJB.

**Savoia** · 24th February 2015, 19:52

SA341B G-ZZEL (cn 1152) as seen at RAF Shawbury on 27th July 2006 (Photo: Peter Olding)

Ex-G-BZYJ and previously XW885.

**Savoia** · 26th February 2015, 08:16

Empire Test Pilot's School/QinetiQ SA341C Gazelle XZ939 (cn 1750) as seen at Salisbury Plain Training Area in November 2013

**Savoia** · 26th February 2015, 08:54

SA341C G-ZELE cn WA/1007 (Photo: Malcolm Clarke)

Ex-XW845 and one of Westland's early production examples.

Announcement

Shrieking Gazelles

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