South African Police Takes Delivery of 3,000th Eurocopter AS350

Eurocopter, In thirty or so years, 3,000 single-engine Ecureuils have been manufactured; proof, if need, of the resounding success enjoyed by this family of light helicopters that took over from the reputed Alouette range in the mid 1970s. The underlying factors of this success story are its roomy, well-lit cabin, its revolutionary Starflex main rotor, and the widespread use of composite materials, alloying light weight and strength. 
 
Since the Ecureuil first flew on 27 June 1974, its characteristics have been constantly upgraded to improve performance and enhance safety. These ongoing improvements have progressively spawned a large family of helicopters that have been acclaimed by the civil, military, and parapublic operators alike. 
 
The AS350 B3 delivered on 28 November to the South African Police Service was the top performance version marketed in the single-engine Ecureuil range. The Police Service already operates 6 helicopters of this type. The AS350 B3 made its maiden flight on 3 March 1997. It is now powered by a Turbomeca Arriel 2B engine developing 847 HP and controlled by a dual channel FADEC (Full Authority Digital Engine Control). This system automatically regulates the rotor rpm by adapting the engine power to the flight conditions. 
 
A total of 432 AS350 B3 Ecureuils are currently in operational service worldwide, where they mainly perform missions requiring high performance, including 'high and hot' sling work (sling capacity of 1,400kg). The Ecureuil B3 holds several climb records in its category. It is also the only helicopter to have landed at an altitude of 8,850 meters (29,035 ft) on top of Mount Everest. This feat was accomplished on 14 May 2005 in a production helicopter with test pilot Didier Delsalle at the controls. 
 
The Ecureuil is the only Eurocopter range to include both single- and twin-engine models. A total of 3,719 Ecureuil helicopters, all versions combined, have been sold, logging 15 million flight hours in 91 countries for 1,531 customers.  
 
Eurocopter is a wholly-owned subsidiary of EADS. EADS is a global leader in aerospace, defence and related services. In 2004, EADS generated revenues of EUR 31.8 billion and employed a workforce of about 110,000. The EADS Group includes the aircraft manufacturer Airbus, the world's largest helicopter supplier Eurocopter and the joint venture MBDA, the international leader in missile systems. EADS is the major partner in the Eurofighter consortium, is the prime contractor for the Ariane launcher, develops the A400M military transport aircraft and is the largest industrial partner for the European satellite navigation system Galileo