Tag Archives: airbus helicopter

Super Puma On The Doorstep

I made a kit of an RAF Puma when I was a kid and have had a soft spot for the type ever since.  The Super Puma is a capable airframe that has had a few problems over the years but is still very impressive.  If I can see one anytime, I will try to do so.  The good news is that one has shown up at Arlington.  It was parked outside a hangar without rotors when I saw it and got some shots.  It has since moved indoors and I assume it is being fitted out for operations.  If so, I can’t wait to see it in action.

Canadian Dauphin Eludes Me

I don’t often see civilian Dauphins in service.  The Coast Guard operates the type but the US does not have a lot of them in private hands.  I saw a Canadian example showed up in Seattle and was quite a surprise.  It had a large winch mount on the fuselage which is unusual for a civilian operator.  It was quite a coincidence since Airbus Helicopters has just delivered the final Dauphin to a customer.  It has been superseded in their line by the H160.  I was hoping it would depart my way but it was cleared to the north on a downwind departure which they turned on to promptly after getting airborne.  I got shots but they were distant ones.

EC145

 

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The EC-145 is an helicopter I have yet to decide about.  A bigger type than the EC-135, I am not sure it carries the extra size as gracefully as it could.  It has a slightly bug-like look to it I think.  The most recent updates have added a Fenestron to replace the tail rotor.  That can sometimes be a good thing but on this type it seems like they have picked a slightly larger unit from the parts bin by mistake.  The fin section seems pretty large.  Even so, I am not totally against it.  It certainly seems smooth and quiet as it flies by.  This one did look kind of cool…

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