Shrieking Gazelles

[xbdt]

SA340 F-ZWRA No. 002

Someone I met worked for SNIAS when they developed the Gazelle main rotor blades, here is some more info:

http://jeanpierre.rousset.free.fr/In...que/index.html

http://jeanpierre.rousset.free.fr/In...kow_moule.html

[Savoia]

Grazie XB!

Interesting to read that the aluminium molds for the blades were produced by 'Ferranti-Cincinnati'.

From the second SA340 .. to the first SA341 ..



Two 'legends' from Sud Aviation, René Mouille and Jean Boulet, stand with the very first example of an SA341, F-ZWRH (cn 01), probably at Aérospatiale's Marignane facility c. August 1968

[Zishelix]

The SA.340-002 was the first Gazelle fitted with a 13-blade fenestron. It's maiden flight was in April 1968 and, as the photos reveal, it was fitted with a T-tail.

After being "stored" for years in a local yard in France, the Toulouse-based museum Ailes Anciennes Toulouse (Toulouse Old Wings) began a restoration project on this airframe in 1998, and which you can read more about here.

I thought I should mark my 340th, 341st and 342nd posts with these images!

[Savoia]

I thought I should mark my 340th, 341th and 342nd posts with these images!

Nice one!



Defence Web are now reporting the story we brought over the weekend regarding the Nigerian Gazelles:

The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) is flying Gazelle helicopters as it bolsters its fleet to combat Boko Haram insurgents.

A recent Channels Television video clip showed images of the helicopters at a Nigerian Air Force installation in Lagos. It is not clear how many helicopters have been acquired or where they came from, although it appears they entered service last month. Several photos have circulated showing the helicopters, which are possibly flown by private military contractors.

The Channels Television video also showed one of the NAF’s recently refurbished AS332M1 Super Puma helicopters carrying a new 22-tube rocket pod on one of its stub wings. On February 15, Chief of the Air Staff Air Marshal Adesola Amosun told Radio Nigeria Network news that new aircraft weaponry was being tested and calibrated at the Owode weapons range.

http://www.defenceweb.co.za/index.ph...=35&Itemid=107

Hopefully we shall be able to secure some clearer images of these craft, and perhaps also their serial numbers.

[Savoia]

Mystery Gaz ??

Zis, do you have any idea which craft this is? I've tried looking up details based on her registration, but have had no success.

Looking at the anti-collision beacon on top of the tail, as well as the antennae on the underside of the tailboom, she appears to be ex-mil.

But a Gaz on the Greenland register?

Any clues?


Greenland registered Gazelle 'somewhere' in 2007

[Savoia]

SA341G(S) N150SF (cn 1584) as seen at Cheltenham Racecourse on 10th March 2015 (Photo: Simon Gregory)

[Savoia]

Hungarian Gaz ..


HA-LFK in flight over Hungary

HA-LFK landing:

[Zishelix]

Sav, GL-0777 is not on the Greenland regiester, but the Ukrainian. They use two different prefix - UR & GL - don't ask me why!

Re: her ID, she is an SA.341C s/n 1078, an ex-Royal Navy HT.Mk2 which was registered as XW856 and served with 705 Squadron at Culdrose. In 2001 she became G-CBBY and the following year G-GAZL.

She seems to have gone onto the Ukraine register in 2006, the same year she was captured in the photo below:

[Helipixman]

G-GAZL was based not far from where I am in Scotland and at the time we had three civil Gazelles up here ... the other two being G-OGEO and G-OGAZ. GAZL was owned by Richard Bailey (Replaced by EC.120B - shame!) before selling it to Michael Gee down near Gamston.

[Savoia]

Grazie Zis!

I didn't think that Greenland had moved away from the Danish register but .. online information can be confusing in that some ICAO listings have the "GL" prefix ascribed to Greenland. To add further confusion .. on the records I have, cn. 1078 is listed as being UR-ALMA, but the photo clearly tells a different story.

That's a nice shot of G-GAZL btw.

Elipix: Are there still any Gazelle based in Scotland?

Qatari Gazelles


SA342L QA03 over Doha on 16th December 2014


SA342L QA07 over Doha on 16th December 2014


SA342L's QA08 and QA10 over Doha on 16th December 2014

[Savoia]

Armée de Terre 342's Landing

Check out one Gaz (at 0:59 secs) which has no engine cowlings:

[Savoia]

F-ZWRA

XB kindly showed us an example of F-ZWRA in her restored condition at the top of the page.

Here she is in a photo from 1968:


SA340 F-ZWRA (cn 002) as seen at Farnborough in September 1968 (Photo: Lee Mullins)

From the days when the cooperation with Westland was still expressed as 'Sud Aviation-Westland', as advertised on the craft's tail.

[Zishelix]

And the same machine during ground testing on April 2nd, 1968.

[Savoia]

Great image Zis!



SA341G(S) G-EHUP SA341G (cn 1407), ex-F-GIJR, was cancelled from the UK register on 16th March 2015, and will be going on to the Serbian register.

[Savoia]

SA341G N341AS (cn 1042) as seen at Kortrijk-Wevelgem Airport on 24th February 2015 (Photo: Geert Diopere)

[Savoia]

SA342L HA-LFH (cn 1775) as seen at Phalsbourg-Bourscheid Air Base on 14th June 2014 (Photo: Volker Hilpert)

[Zishelix]

Gazelle Cockpits

SA.342J F-GKRF s/n 1058 in 2003 (Photo: Jerome Mervelet)



And a very up-to-date cockpit of an ex-ALAT machine (s/n 1415) displayed at Le Borget Salon in 2011 to demonstrate the feasibility of upgrading the Gazelle. (Photo: Mick Bajcar)



Quite an improvement since the day of SA.340 F-ZWRA!

[Savoia]

Nice one Zis!

I suppose the original panel for F-ZWRA was just the centre console. How things have changed.




When a landlord near Middle Wallop advertised that he had negotiated the use of some of land at the back of his pub for occasional use by those visiting by helicopter, this was the Army's response:

[Savoia]

SA341C G-LEDR (cn 1081) as seen at Glasgow Airport on 23rd November 2014 (Photo: Kenny Williamson)




G-LEDR Receives Dedicated Hangar

Former Royal Navy Westland Gazelle WA1081, ex-XW857, now G-LEDR, has received a dedicated hangar.

The hangar's location is most probably in Yorkshire.

Congratulations to Nigel who we one day hope to see on Aviafora!







G-LEDR as seen in her new hangar in mid-March 2015

[md600driver]

Well done to Shrieking Gazelles for catching these photos "hot off the press!"
These pics are of G-LEDR's brand new hangar, which she only moved into a week ago today.
In fact I haven't even visited the hangar yet, although I am familiar with its' specifications.

[Savoia]

Another Gazelle panel to join Zis' collection!


HA-LFA panel

[Savoia]

More from Qatar ..


Qatar Emiri Air Force, 6th Close Support Squadron, SA342L QA 03

These colours are either used to designate the Qatari Air Force training Gazelles, or are police markings, I'm note sure which but .. I suspect Zis can help us out!

Videos of Qatari Gazelles are quite rare, but here is one depicting QA 05, taken at Al Khor airfield in north-eastern Qatar in 2012:

[Savoia]

As founding members of the Dogs Who Love Gazelles club, "Parker & Bailey" are pleased to support the second edition of canine appreciation for the Gazelle:

Meet Gizmo .. the Gazelle-loving Alsatian ..


'Gizmo' says .. "My owner loves Gazelles .. and so do I"


Gizmo and co.


SA341G(S) N150SF at the A1K9 dog training centre in Swansea

[Zishelix]

.. I suspect Zis can help us out!

Unable to help on this occasion. Nice find though!

[Savoia]

No problem. We shall doubtless discover such details over time.

G-BXTH

In a Gaz News item on page 19, we learned that G--BXTH was to be involved with Heliflight at Staverton, having been registered to a new owner in August of last year.

Yesterday though, she was captured in this nice shot (below) while resting in a hangar at Blackpool Airport:


SA341D Westland Gazelle G-BXTH (cn WA1120) as seen at Blackpool (Squires Gate) Airport on 21st March 2015 (Photo: Stuart Miller)

[Savoia]

Unidentified Gaz

An organisation called Skydock, evidently based in Lincoln, is showing a photo (below) of a black Gaz with what appears to be a 4 'something' registration. I know Montenegro is 4O, but I don't see any record of a 4O-HJS.

Does anyone recognise this craft, or know anything about it?

[md600driver]

She's been in the UK for some years. This picture looks like when she was being loaded (last year) for her new owner in the EAST.

She was based in Clitheroe, Lancashire, and sold after the auction to Skydocks (Richard Briggs) [my bid didnt win] who cleaned her up and sold here to someone - I think he said in the Russian states, but I could be wrong.

[Savoia]

Grazie Steve!

There seems to be something of a 'black hole' when is comes to tracking Gazelles in Russia, and which I assume is because the aviation authority doesn't publish any easily accessible or up-to-date registration details.

[Zishelix]

This is ex YU-HDL (SA.341H; s/n 052), a Soko Gazelle. It belonged to Griffair Adriatic.

[Savoia]

Grazie Zis! But was it ever registered as 4O-HJS and .. do you know where it is now?

[Zishelix]

Yes, she's been wearing that registration (4O-HJS) since 2013. I think she is probably in the UK now.

[helihub]

This Gazelle has been based UK since July 2008, originally as YU-HDL, then later as 4O-HJS - and it was carrying that registration by June 2012 according to my records. You will notice the same font used on the registration as HDL at http://tinyurl.com/o82ty2k . It was manufactured May 1979 as serial 031 in the Mostar factory.

However, please note.... Skydock were advertising this as serial 052 at http://www.skydock.co.uk/aviation/ but I have a photo of the manufacturer's plate showing 031 when it was YU-HDL. Caveat Emptor !!

[helihub]

[Zishelix]

The plate on its instrument table says 052 ... so this seems to be another MultiGazelle.

Helihub, do you know on which part of the machine this plate was attached? S/N 031 was originally HN-42M 12804.

[Savoia]

Ciao Jeremico .. welcome aboard!

.. but I have a photo of the manufacturer's plate showing 031 when it was YU-HDL.

Lol! It's hard to argue with the dataplate but, as Zis suggests, this could perhaps be a 'Frankencraft!'

For any readers new to 'Shrieking Gazelles', I encourage you to check out Jeremy's wonderful helicopter news site, HeliHub, click here.

More Crabtree ..


Steve departing Breighton with Crabtree Gazelle SA342L HA-LFH on 22nd September 2013

[Savoia]

Not sure of the registration of this craft. The photographer ascribes the Gaz to 'AH Helicopters' however:


Gazelle over Plymouth on 19th April 2013 (Photo: Andy Carter)

[Zishelix]

Not sure of the registration of this craft.

I think it's G-GAZI.

[Savoia]

Grazie Zis. G-GAZI .. I think this was 'Citizen Kane' (as in G-KANE) and which is now YU-HMC. We actually covered a little bit about this craft on page 16 (see link below) including a panel shot. It looks a little different though, so I'm not totally sure?

http://www.aviafora.com/forums/forum...=1874#post1874

[Helipixman]

I think this is YU-HEV. Have a look at the top left of the instrument panel and it shows the reg? Also a look at the MW helicopters website shows pictures of YU-HEV for sale, and the cockpit shot shows red piping around the instruments.
Just my suggestion