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The Eurocopter AS365 N Dauphin 2 is a twin-engined medium-weight transport helicopter powered by a pair of Turbomeca
Arriel 1C2 Turbine engines, accommodating up to 13 passengers and 2 crew. The twin-engine SA.365 was developed in 1973 by SNIAS
(Société Nationale Industrielle Aerospatiale) out of the single-engine SA.360 Dauphin. The SNIAS SA.365 prototype F-WVKE, a
SA.360 fitted with 2 Turbomeca Arriel 1A Turboshafts, flew first on 24 January 1975. In 1977 production commenced with
the SA.365-C, with deliveries starting in 1978. An improved version of the SA 365C Dauphin 2, the SA.365N flew
first on 31 March 1979. The SA 365N differs from the SA365C in having Arriel 1C turbine engines, a
re-profiled fuselage, fully retractable undercarriage and increased fuel capacity in new under-floor tankage.
Deliveries of the production model began in 1982. Deliveries of the AS.365 N2, equipped with two Turboméca
Arriel 1C2 turboshafts, started in 1990. From 1984, SNIAS operated under the name of Aérospatiale.
The helicopter divisions of MBB from Germany and Aerospatiale from France merged in January 1992 to form the Eurocopter
Group. A new Eurocopter designation was added:
EC 155 B1, originally known as the AS 365 N4. The Dauphin 2 is in use
in several military and civilian roles. The AS 565 Panther is the military version of the Dauphin. The AS 366 G1,
powered by two Textron-Lycoming LTS.101-750B-2 turboshafts, is used by the United States Coast Guard under the
designation HH-65A Dolphin. The Dauphin 2 is manufactured under licence in China as the Harbin Z-9 Haitung and in
Brasil as the Helibras MH-1. Already over 900 AS 365/366/565 and EC155 versions have been produced. |
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The 2005-built Eurocopter AS365 N3 c/n 6706 was test flown as F-WWQA. On 27
June 2005, the Dauphin 2 was registered OY-HMO in Denmark with
DanCopter. The aircraft was registered OO-NHZ in Belgium with Noordzee
Helikopters Vlaanderen, Ostend, on 18 June 2007. The aircraft arrived
the same day on delivery at Ostend as OY-HMO with registration OY-HMO
partly taped over and registration OO-NHX visible behind a window.
Registration OY-HMO was cancelled on 19 June. NHV – Noordzee Helikopters
Vlaanderen uses the OO-NHX on their 24hr/24hr Pilotage by helicopter
contract in Rotterdam/Maasvlakte. The aircraft was seen during a demo at
the Wereldhavendagen in Rotterdam. |
Luchtvaart déjà vu
