Eurocopter AS365 Dauphin


The Eurocopter AS365 Dauphin, also formerly known as the Aérospatiale SA 365 Dauphin 2, is a medium-weight multipurpose twin-engine helicopter produced by Airbus Helicopters. It was originally developed and manufactured by French firm Aérospatiale, which was merged into the multinational Eurocopter company during the 1990s. Since entering production in 1975, the type has been in continuous production for more than 40 years. The intended successor to the Dauphin is the Airbus Helicopters H160, which is yet to enter operational service as of January 2020.
The Dauphin 2 shares many similarities with the Aérospatiale SA 360, a commercially unsuccessful single-engine helicopter; however the twin-engine Dauphin 2 did meet with customer demand and has been operated by a wide variety of civil and military operators. Since the type's introduction in the 1970s, several major variations and specialised versions of the Dauphin 2 have been developed and entered production, including the military-oriented Eurocopter Panther, the air-sea rescue HH/MH-65 Dolphin, the Chinese-manufactured Harbin Z-9 and the modernised Eurocopter EC155.

Development

The SA 365/AS365 Dauphin 2 is a twin-engine development of the commercially unsuccessful single-engined Aérospatiale SA 360 Dauphin; only a year after the SA 360's entry into service, Aerospatiale had recognized that a platform powered by two engines rather than one was better suited to both civil and military operations, thus a redesign program was initiated. In January 1975, the first twin-engine Dauphin prototype performed its first flight; the prototype soon demonstrated an airspeed of 170 knots in level flight and set multiple speed records, among them the Paris-London trip at an average of 322 km/h. Deliveries of production models began later that decade.
The initial production variant entered service under the original designation of SA 365C; French certification of this model was received in July 1978. In 1982, the SA 356C Dauphin was succeeded by the more capable SA 365 N. Amongst several major design changes and improvements, the SA 365 N featured more powerful engines, greater use of composite materials, a better cabin arrangement, and retractable landing gear.
Further improvements were made with the introduction of the SA 365 N1, which had a substantially redesigned Fenestron anti-torque device, and with the SA 365 N2, which was equipped with more powerful Turbomeca Arriel 1C2 turboshaft engines. In January 1990, the overall type was formally redesignated as the AS365. The AS365 Dauphin is one of Eurocopter's more successful helicopter designs; and has been widely used as a corporate transport, airborne law enforcement platform, emergency medical services helicopter, electronic news gathering platform, and search & rescue helicopter.
The base Dauphin has been further developed into several purpose-built variants. During the 1980s, the SA 365 N was used as the basis for a militarised version of the Dauphin, initially designed as AS 365 K, which was used to perform utility, troop-transport, and maritime operations, widely known as the Eurocopter Panther. A variant of the Dauphin was specifically developed for and operated principally by the United States Coast Guard under the designation HH/MH-65 Dolphin. The SA 365 M model of the Dauphin has also been manufactured under licence in China as the Z-9 by the Harbin Aircraft Manufacturing Corporation; the Z-9 was subsequently developed into the armed WZ-9 and Z-19 attack helicopter.

Design

The AS365 Dauphin is a twin-engine helicopter capable of travelling long ranges, and well suited to operating in climates of a high ambient temperature or at locations of significant altitude. The Dauphin is typically powered by a pair of Turbomeca Arriel turboshaft engines; on later variants, these are equipped with FADEC units, which provide additional functionality such as an automated start-up sequence and a training mode. The engines drive the rotorcraft's foldable Starflex main rotor and its Fenestron anti-torque tail rotor via two separate transmissions; these gearboxes are also connected to two separate hydraulic systems as well as a stand-by hydraulic system for emergency use, such as deployment of the landing gear. Electrical power is provided by a pair of starter generators and a cadmium-nickel main battery, an emergency battery is also present.
The main fuselage of the rotorcraft comprises the cabin area, a separate luggage compartment, and a retractable tricycle landing gear arrangement; a total of four conventional doors to access the main cabin are typically installed, which can be optionally replaced by a single clamshell air stair entrance instead. Various portions of the rotorcraft are made from composite materials, such as the rotor blades that made of carbon fiber, other materials are used in portions of the fuselage. The fuselage features anti-corrosion protection and is structurally reinforced for an optional hoist or cargo sling to be installed, various other mooring and gripping points are also fitted on the rotocraft's exterior surface. Various types and models of radar can be installed in the Dauphin's nose.
The combination of the rotorcraft's Starflex main rotor and Fenestron tail provides a low-noise and low-vibration flight experience for those on board; Airbus Helicopters has claimed the sound emissions of the AS365 N3 to be 3.1 decibels below International Civil Aviation Organization standards, making it the quietest helicopter in its class. The Dauphin can take off under a full load from sea level under Category A conditions. The main cabin area is designed to be reconfigurable, a feature which is promoted to emergency medical service and search and rescue operators. In a regular passenger transport layout, the cabin can accommodate up to 12 passengers in addition to the two pilots; up to seven passengers can be accommodated in a VIP layout. Access to the cabin is via large sliding doors on either side of the helicopter, built-in boarding steps are typically installed to ease the boarding of passengers.
While the cockpit is typically equipped with dual flight controls for two-man operations, the Dauphin can be readily flown by a single pilot while operating under instrument flight rules; this was achieved in part by avionics such as the 4-axis Dual Digital Automatic Flight Control System to reduce crew workload. The principal flight control system are connected to a total of 3 dual-chamber primary servo-units for cyclical and collective pitch control, and a single dual-chamber rear servo-unit for tail rotor pitch control. Other major avionics include 10.4-inch multi-mission touch screen displays, weather radar, global positioning system receiver, traffic alert and collision avoidance system, automatic voice alarm device, health and usage monitoring system, quick access records for helicopter flight data management, and digital audio communication system.

Operational history

In February 1980, the first series production Dauphin was used to break three separate speed-related world records in separate journeys between Battersea, London, United Kingdom and Issy-les-Moulineaux, Paris, France. In 1985, a new model of the Dauphin, the AS365 F, became the first rotorcraft in the world to fly with flight instruments being displayed in electronic displays, which replaced the traditional instrumentation; this variant was first procured by the Irish Air Corps for SAR operations.
The French Navy operated the Dauphin, in addition to the dedicated military-orientated Panther variant, to conduct various missions such as the Dauphin Service Public which involves various duties from seaborne SAR, maritime monitoring, and responding to distress calls. French Navy Dauphins are commonly deployed on board the aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle as well as onboard other vessels of the French Navy and allies; they are fitted with a haul-down Harpoon in order to ease shipboard landings in rough weather.
In November 2011, the French Navy began operational use of a newer model of the Dauphin, the Dauphin N3+, as a replacement for aging Eurocopter AS332 Super Pumas stationed in French Polynesia; the primary missions being SAR and MEDIVAC duties in this region.
By 1980, a total of 265 AS360/361/365 Dauphins had been delivered, 88% of these deliveries were to foreign customers in a total of 23 different nations. Amongst the biggest early customers for the type was Saudi Arabia, which ordered 24 Dauphins, and Angola, with an order for 17 Dauphins. The largest civil customers of the type has been Indian operator Pawan Hans, who by 2003 had a fleet of 19 Dauphins and were in the process of procuring another 11 Dauphins to allow older aircraft to be phased out; they have been frequently used to support offshore oil extraction activities.
In February 1991, it was announced that the 500th Dauphin had been delivered to Bond Helicopters, who at that time operated a total of 15 of the type, with additional Dauphins on order. By 1991, the Dauphin was being operated by 138 customers across 44 nations. In December 2006, Eurocopter president Fabrice Brégier stated that between 30 and 40 Dauphins were being delivered each year. By 2011, more than 1,000 AS365/366/565 versions had been produced; Pawan Hans took delivery of the 1,000th Dauphin produced in April 2011, at which point the type was reportedly in service with over 300 operators worldwide.
Prior to the 2004 Summer Olympics, five AS 356N3 Dauphins were procured for the Hellenic Coast Guard for harbor surveillance purposes. Between 2009 and 2012, the Army Air Corps of the United Kingdom took delivery of five Dauphins, these were assigned to No. 658 Squadron AAC to replace four AgustaWestland A109 helicopters being used to support Special Air Service operations.
, the AS365 N variant of the Dauphin holds the world speed record for a course, set at in 1991.

Variants

Civilian variants

;SA 365 C
;SA 365 C1
;SA 365 C2
;SA 365 C3
;SA 365 N
;SA 365 N1
;AS 365 N2
;AS365 N3
;AS365 N3+
;AS365 N4
;AS365 X
2007
;EC155 B/B1

Military variants

;AS565 Panther
;SA 366 G1 Dauphin
;SA 365 N Dauphin
;SA 365 F Dauphin
;AS365 N3 Dauphin
;AS365 N3+

Operators

The Dauphin is flown by a range of private operators, companies, emergency services, government agencies and air charter companies.

Government operators

On July 2, 1999, an AS365F operated by the Irish Air Corps hit a sand dune in thick fog in Tramore while returning from a successful mission off the Waterford coast. The four crew members were killed in the collision.
On 4 April 2015, an AS365 owned by Orion Corridor Sdn Bhd, crashed in Semenyih near Kajang, Malaysia. All six people on board, including the ex-ambassador of Malaysia to the US and Rompin MP, Jamaluddin Jarjis, and others were killed. The helicopter was coming from a wedding party of the Malaysian Prime Minister's daughter.

Specifications (AS365 N3)

Citations