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Eurocopter Super Puma

The Eurocopter Super Puma (originally built by Aérospatiale) is a helicopter marketed for civil and military use. It is an enlarged and re-engined version of the original Aérospatiale Puma and first flew on September 13 1978.

Design and development

The type has proved immensely successful, chosen by 37 military forces around the world, and some 1,000 civil operators. The Super Puma has proved especially well-suited to the North Sea oil industry, where it is used to ferry personnel and equipment to and from oil platforms. In civilian configuration it can seat approximately 18 passengers and two crew, though since the early 2000s most oil companies have banned use of the middle-rear seat reducing effective capacity to 17+2. This down-rating is due to difficulties encountered in evacuating through the rear-most windows in crashes at sea.

A wide variety of specialised military variants are in use, including dedicated Search and rescue and ASW versions. Since 1990, military Super Pumas have been marketed as the Cougar.

Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) and Eurocopter have formed the EUROTAI Consortium. Under this venture agreement TAI will manufacture the Eurocopter Super Puma and Cougar in Turkey

Variants

AS 331 - Prototype.
AS 332A - Commercial pre-production version.
AS 332B - Military version.
AS 332B1 - First military version.
AS 332C - Production civil version.
AS 332C1 - Search and rescue version, equipped with a search radar and six stretchers.
AS 332F - Military anti-submarine and anti-ship version.
AS 332F1 - Naval version.
AS 332L - Civil version with uprated engines, a lengthened fuselage and more cabin space, plus increased fuel. (Sometimes known as the Super Tiger).
AS 332L1 - Stretched civil version, with a long fuselage and an airline interior.
AS 332L2 Super Puma Mk 2 - Civil transport version, fitted with Spheriflex rotor head and EFIS.
AS 332M - Military version of the AS 332L.
AS 332M1 - Stretched military version.
NAS 332 - Licensed version built by IPTN, now Indonesian aerospace(PT. Dirgantara Indonesia).

Operators

Civilian

2 AS 332L1's in service with Azerbaijan Airlines (AZAL) and used for offshore operations to ferry workers to and from Caspian Sea oil rigs, and to transport passengers.
Used by Petrobras Oil
Federal German Police
Finnish Border Guard
CHC Helicopter
Norsk Helikopter
Airlift AS
CHC Helicopter
Cougar Helicopters
The Canadian Forces had the Super Puma as a candidate to replace their aging SH-3 Sea King, but opted for rival Sikorsky S-92

Government Flying Service
Coast Guard
Coast Guard
Malaysia Helicopter Services - chartered by PETRONAS for its upstream operations offshore the states of Terengganu and Sarawak.
Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority
Royal Moroccan Gendarmerie
British Airways Helicopters (1983-1986)
Bristow Helicopters Ltd - operates a fleet of around 20 airframes for North Sea hydrocarbon personnel transfer operations

Military

Argentine Army (332B)
Chilean Army (332M)
Chilean Navy (332F1)

Chinese airforce PLAAF

Brazilian Air Force (532MK1)
Brazilian Army (532UE)
Brazilian Navy (532MK1)
Ecuadorian Army (332M)
Greek Air Force (332C)
Indonesian Air Force
Indonesian Navy
Kuwait Air Force (332M)
Mexican Air Force
Royal Air Force of Oman Panama
Panamanian Air Force/National Air Service (332L)
Nigerian Air Force (332B)
Saudi Navy (332F)
Republic of Singapore Air Force

*125 Squadron operates 22 AS332M Super Pumas

Accidents and Incidents

G-TIGK 19th January 1995. Operated by Bristow Helicopters ditched in the North Sea. No Fatalities. Aircraft lost.
21. November 2006. A Eurocopter AS 332L2 search and rescue helicopter ditched in the North Sea. The aircraft was equipped with two automatic inflatable life rafts, but both failed to inflate. The Dutch Safety Board afterwards issued a warning.
21. July 2008. A Eurocopter crashes in the Cochabamba - Bolivia. The aircraft belonged to the Venezuela Air Force. Four Venezuelan military personnel and a Bolivian officer were reported killed..