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**Savoia** · 3rd January 2016, 19:08

Originally posted by Rotorspot

Just some thoughts, no definitive answer.

Three of the four Niedersachsen Police Gazelles were sold to Bud Spencer (yes, the actor), who was running a small helicopter company in Italy. These three were D-HOPN (1601), D-HOPO (1708) und D-HOPP (1695). So, there is a link with Italy there, although no Italian registrations are known. The fourth one, D-HOPL (1095), was sold to a Swedish dentist and became SE-HUN. This one later on also was sold to an Italian company, but she crashed a day before the delivery flight. While performing a test run for the transit flight she ran out of fuel, and it turned out that the pilot was not authorized to perform the flight. So, another Italian connection here. Also, the c/n resembles the one of D-HOPP (1095 vs. 1695). Would it be possible that D-HOPL one has been used to assemble I-PTEC, although the damage was considerable? But it only takes an original data plate to put together a new helicopter.

Cheers, Jos.

Grazie Jos

I think the involvement of Bud Spencer (aka Carlo Pedersoli) with the Niedersachen Gazelles is reasonably well known (at least in Italy) but I like your theory regarding HOPL/1095 as the possible source for I-PTEC. I've made some enquiries, but as yet .. no responses. We'll find out eventually.

In the meantime ..

SA342J I-PTEC (cn 001) as seen in January 2015

Bud Spencer with one of the Niedersachsen Gazelles

More Niedersachsen Gazelles ..

SA342J D-HOPP (cn 1695), now owned by an Aviaforan, as seen in snow in Germany (Photo: Detlef Böntgen)

SA342J D-HOPN (cn 1601) lifting from the same car park (Photo: Detlef Böntgen)

**Savoia** · 3rd January 2016, 22:17

From the inside: SA341D G-CBSK (cn 1914) ex-ZB627 at an unknown location (Photo: Chris Globe)

**Savoia** · 3rd January 2016, 22:51

Aviaforans in the News

Steve & Co. with N901B at North Coates Airfield in Grimsby on either the 2nd or 3rd January 2016 (Photo: Abby Ruston)

http://www.grimsbytelegraph.co.uk/Ba...l/story.html#1

**Savoia** · 4th January 2016, 09:05

Zis, are you able to help with an ID for this craft?

**Zishelix** · 4th January 2016, 11:18

Sure, its SA.342J c/n 1393 F-GCCZ (today flying as YU-HEV).

**Helipixman** · 4th January 2016, 14:47

XW847 Flown cover

Not sure if this has been on before (didnt have time to look at all 54 pages - apologies if it has !)

Cover flown in XW847 and signed by pilot. Back of cover has official stamp: 23.7.73, 7 Regiment AAC, Netheravon.

From my collection of Gazelle memorabilia
Helipixman

**Zishelix** · 4th January 2016, 15:43

Originally posted by Helipixman View Post

Not sure if this has been on before

No problem if we had

Two more of the same covers signed by the Commander of the Gazelle IFTF and a Russian pilot Alex Kapralov, one of the Mil Mi-1 crew who won the contest in free-style handling display category!

Flown covers were very popular in sixties and '70s.

**Zishelix** · 5th January 2016, 12:17

An attractive photo of two French military machines taken during meeting held at Le Luc Air Base in 2007.

**Rotorspot** · 5th January 2016, 16:18

Interesting pictures of Moroccon helicopters, including many Gazelles, during the Marrakech Airshow 2014:

http://far-maroc.forumpro.fr/t13p270...d-helicopteres

**Savoia** · 6th January 2016, 09:44

Alouette II with F-HGUN as seen at Courchevel recently

**Savoia** · 6th January 2016, 10:16

Gazelles in Russia

RA-2501G as seen with an Mi-8 at Bratsk Airport, Irkutsk, Oblast, Russia in 2015

RA-2501G at Bratsk Airport, Irkutsk, Oblast, Russia in 2015

RA-2501G in her hangar at Bratsk

Any clues on the serial number for this craft?

**Savoia** · 6th January 2016, 15:45

Are we sure this is ex G-CHBR? I have this as having gone to RA-05706 (she may have been reregistered as RA-2501G though). On the other hand G-CHBN has also been exported to Russia, but her fate is still unknown. 'N' and 'R' both carried the same colour scheme, but 'N' had a black Fenestron hub cap and 'R' had a red one, and the cap on RA-2501G is black! Also G-CHBN had a brown interior (like RA-2501G), whereas G-CHBR had a 'dark' interior.

Based on Jos' comments I'm inclined to go for RA-2501G as being 1560.

A new entry perhaps on Rotorspot's list today Jos.

ps: I like 1G's Russian hangar!

SA341B G-CHBR (cn 1802) as seen at Stapleford c.2012 (Photo: Graeme Lovell) ex-British Army ZA722

SA341B G-CHBN (cn 1560) as seen at Stapleford c.2013 (Photo: Graeme Lovell) ex-British Army XZ307

**Savoia** · 7th January 2016, 14:20

SA341G(S) N901B (cn 1410) departing Breighton Aerodrome in December 2015 (Photo: Ken Woolley)

Sending a request out to our Benegaz members .. in that it's been faaar tooo long since we last saw any of the Benegaz craft on the forum. Even a hanger shot would be okay!

**md600driver** · 7th January 2016, 18:33

Originally posted by Savoia View Post

We need a contact in the Russian Ministry of Transport who can assist us with aircraft registrations!

Steve, what's a TAD helicopter please?

Zis has it correct, it's for training engineers, not for flying (until overhauled and made fit for flying) as these were by MW.

**Zishelix** · 7th January 2016, 18:52

Responding to Sav's plea for some photos of the Benegaz birds, Aviaforan XB has kindly forward me this nice photo of his Gazelle when they visited Flanders Intl. Airport in December 24th, 2015. (Photo: Roland De Groote)

**N48284** · 7th January 2016, 21:38

G-ZZLE

Here are a couple of shots of XX436/G-ZZLE getting stripped-down for repaint and her 10yr major overhaul:

**Zishelix** · 7th January 2016, 22:50

Another Benegaz member has kindly replied to Sav's request by sharing few photos of his Gazelle.

The Kurtcraft (N700SH) at Wingene Heliport in December 2nd.

and the same machine at Ursel Airport in October 25th 2015.

Both photos taken by Mr. Roland De Groote.

Thanks Kurt!

**Zishelix** · 8th January 2016, 10:24

AAC's AH.1 ZB689 attracting the crowd's attention during Armed Force Day at Carrickfergus on June 28th, 2014 (Photo: Craig Norwood)

**Savoia** · 8th January 2016, 14:14

Grazie Mille .. XB, Kurt and Zis! It is wonderful to see some of the Benegaz craft after such a long time!

Bendy Blade Gaz

It's been said that the Gazelle's main rotor can sweep so low that it can slice you in two!

So, let's get the straight .. The Gaz .. She can give you a nasty 'surprise' by obnoxiously swinging her tail if you don't take the time to diligently understand her ways. Furthermore, if you don't watch out, then in certain scenarios, she can send her blades so low that they will take your head off! Additionally, she's relatively high maintenance in terms of upkeep!

Hmm .. I could draw some parallels here but, its a little early in the year to begin making comparisons with the fairer sex!

All I can say with regard to Gazelle owners is that it must be love!

And here she is with her 'bendy blade' being flexed:

A French Army Gazelle pilot performs a pre-flight inspection of the main rotor on an SA342M Viviane belonging the 1st Combat Helicopter Battalion of the L'armée de Terre, as seen at Kabul International Airport on 2nd August 2012

Well, you'd be hard pressed to make a 206 or 500 blade do that!

Moving on .. from the plausible to the incredulous ..

Aérospatiale Legends

Twice I have been told about a video which was apparently filmed by Aérospatiale workers in the early 70's and which portrays a man feeding a length of wood through the Dauphin's fenestron and basically using it as a saw. He then takes an automatic rifle and shoots up the Dauphin's main rotor (not sure whether it was running). The Dauphin then takes off and performs a circuit! Supposedly for his next 'act' this person mounts a Gazelle and walks the length of its blade from the hub outwards until he literally steps off the end of the blade to the ground!

Admittedly it all sounds a bit fantastical but .. is there any truth to this legend?

Needless to say, in today's health-and-safety-gone-mad world, such a video would be gold dust for those who abhor political correctness and the health-and-safety-gone-mad culture! It is probably also the reason why if such a video did exist, some may never wish for it to surface!

Has anyone ever heard about such a video?

**Savoia** · 9th January 2016, 11:25

SA342J YU-HEV (cn 1393) as seen on 23rd December 2015 (Photo: Curtis Smith)

SA341G(S) G-MANN (cn 1295) at an unknown location on an unknown date by an unknown photogrpaher (Apologies)

But, given her 'First City Air' titles this is presumably c.2001. Now of course a venerable member of Benegaz and better known as 'Black Pete'.

**500 Fan** · 9th January 2016, 16:51

Originally posted by Savoia View Post

Aérospatiale Legends

Twice I have been told about a video which was apparently filmed by Aérospatiale workers in the early 70's and which portrays a man feeding a length of wood through the Dauphin's fenestron and basically using it as a saw. He then takes an automatic rifle and shoots up the Dauphin's main rotor (not sure whether it was running). The Dauphin then takes off and performs a circuit! Supposedly for his next 'act' this person mounts a Gazelle and walks the length of its blade from the hub outwards until he literally steps off the end of the blade to the ground!

Admittedly it all sounds a bit fantastical but .. is there any truth to this legend? Has anyone ever heard about such a video?

I never saw it myself, but one of the instructors who gave classes as part of our PPL ground school at Weston back in the early 2000's was an Air Corps mechanic and he mentioned the Gazelle and this video where they fed a sizeable piece of wood into the Fenestron. The piece of wood lost that particular fight, apparently! He didn't mention the other parts of the video, though.

**Zishelix** · 10th January 2016, 14:36

Walking on the rotor blade?! It doesn't appear like a clever idea!

I wouldn't know about effectiveness of the fenestron as a circular saw, but some info about Gazelle's rotor blades toughness can be found in this report.

**500 Fan** · 10th January 2016, 19:29

Regarding blade-walking, my instructor didn't mention any Gazelle-blade-walking but coincidentally did mention such an incident many years previously at Dublin Airport.

Omega Helicopters, perhaps with Celtic Helicopters also involved, operated a number Kamov KA-32 co-axial machines in Ireland for a time. During an open-day for local pilots and engineers, one of the Russian mechanics demonstrated his machine's robust construction by, you guessed it, going for a stroll on one of the lower blades! No damage was suffered by the blade, by all accounts.

Back to Gazelles and the micro ones. The little Majorette model was featured previously and here is a link to a nice 1/72 scale model of the Gazelle being constructed from the elderly and slightly inaccurate Airfix kit.

http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/i...eller-gazelle/

500 Fan.

**Zishelix** · 11th January 2016, 08:34

To help illustrate just how tough the Gazelle's rotor blades are:

Main rotor of an SA341G (N341FR) c/n 1003 after having sliced-off the tail of a Beeccraft Bonanza (in mid air).

More details here

**Savoia** · 11th January 2016, 10:07

More Benegaz .. '505'

SA341G N505HA (cn 1301)

With our great thanks to Arnaud for these lovely shots of '505'. It is so nice to see this aircraft, especially as we have so few shots of her.

Grazie mille!

**Savoia** · 11th January 2016, 19:45

YU-HET Departure

As seen in her 'better' days.

One wonders whether her frame needed to go into a jig after her 'unauthorised flight' last year? Additionally, will her tailboom have been rebuilt or (as I am suspecting) will it have been entirely replaced?

**md600driver** · 12th January 2016, 00:26

Originally posted by Savoia View Post

YU-HET

One wonders whether her frame needed to go into a jig after her 'unauthorised flight' last year? Additionally, will her tailboom have been rebuilt or (as I am suspecting) will it have been entirely replaced?

Avia member Gaz Engineer should be able to tell you.

**Zishelix** · 12th January 2016, 11:48

Once belonged to Cameroon, TJ-XBF (s/n 1874) in the Musee de l'Aviation at Saint Victoret ner Marignane.

Beside #1874, the Museum also preserves a w/o French Army SA.341F (s/n 1387).

----------------------
Saint Victoret's Museum is on my "Must-See-Before-Lift-Off-For-Good" list, so hopefully someday…

**Savoia** · 12th January 2016, 18:24

Originally posted by GazEngineer

She will never fly again. Due to sudden stoppage none of the parts can be used.

Cost wise it'll be cheaper to buy a complete airworthy helicopter as the price to rebuild YU-HET would be nearly double what she was once worth.

GazEn, thank you for briefing us on this situation. As Zis says, it is very sad that she will never fly again in her original form.

This 'incident' was clearly more serious than I imagined. But, as sad as this may be, let us be thankful that no lives were lost.

Here (as Zis knows) is my favourtie photo of 1204:

SA342J (cn 1204) as seen at Courchevel on 13th January 1989 (Photo: Zishelix)

1204 was first registered in Guatemala as TG-KOV, she then returned to France where she became F-GFDG (as seen above) and was finally registered as YU-HET.

**Savoia** · 13th January 2016, 10:50

Royal Marines

SA341B XX380-A (cn 1268) as seen while attached to 847 Naval Air Squadron

This craft was attached to 3 Commando Brigade Air Squadron at Valkenburg in the Netherlands in 1978, made several training expeditions to Norway, and also served in Iraq.

She now stands as a Gate Guard at RAF Wattisham (now AAC).

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