Airbus Helicopters AS365 Dauphin The Aérospatiale SA-365 Dauphin 2 is a French helicopter . It is both a civilian and military helicopter. Mainly used for search and rescue , it is also used for transport and war against submarines . In this last kind it can carry one or two torpedoes . It is a modernized variant of Aérospatiale SA-360 Dauphin , with two turboshafts .
Variants
SA-365C : This is the version of original series. It has pads as an undercarriage .SA-365F : This is the first important series. It has retractable wheels as an undercarriage.
SA-365N : This is the version of SA-365F for export .SA-366 : This is the version made specially for United States Coast Guard and known as HH-65 Dolphin .SA-365K : This is the first non-naval version, dedicated to aerial attack .SA-365M : This is the first official military variant, later designated AS-565 Panther .SA-365DGV (DGV for Dauphin à Grande Vitesse , or in English High Speed Dauphin) : This is an experimental variant for high speed research. Its name is in reference of French high-speed rail TGV .In 1992 after founding of Eurocopter all designations in SA- were changed to AS- . So SA-365N became AS-365N .
Harbin Z-9 is a Chinese variant built under licence, and Eurocopter EC155 is the new one, built at the beginning as AS-365N4.
Users
Militaries and governmental Aérospatiale SA-365N Dauphin 2 were acquired by : Australia , Argentina , Bangladesh , Chile , Dominican Republic , France , Greece , Iceland , Ireland , Kuwait , Malaysia , Saudi Arabia , South Africa , Sri Lanka , Switzerland , UK , USA , Uruguay and many others.
Bibliography
Jackson, Robert, Helicopters: Military, Civilian, and Rescue Rotorcraft (The Aviation Factfile). London: Grange Books Ltd, 2005. ISBN 1-84013-812-2 .
Gaillard, Pierre, Avions et hélicoptères militaires d'aujourd'hui Paris, France : Larivière éditions, 1999. ISBN 2-907051-24-5 .
Frawley, Gerard, The international directory of military aircraft 2002/2003 . London: Aerospace Publication, 2002. ISBN 1-875671-55-2 .
