Aérospatiale SA-330 Puma

French army SA-330B Puma

RAF Puma.

Romanian Puma.

South African Puma.

Philippines Puma.

Spanish civilian waterbomber Puma.

Civilian Italian SA-330 Puma.

German Puma.

French SA-330 Puma in the desert of Iraq in 1990.

The Aérospatiale SA-330 Puma is a transport helicopter designed and built in France. The design was first built by Sud Aviation,^[1] and later by Aérospatiale. It was also built by Westland Helicopter in the United Kingdom after an agreement between the two countries^[2] It first flew in April 1965.^[3] It is mainly used by Armée de l'Air, Royal Air Force, and some other air forces. It is also used by civilians.

SA-330 specifications

The Aérospatiale SA-330 Puma is 59.6½ feet (18.15 meters) long, 49.2½ feet (15.00 meters) diameter, and 16.10½ feet (5.14 meters) tall. A minimum mass that weighs 7,795 pounds (3,536 kg) and at the maximum mass that weighs 15,532 pounds (7,000 kg). It is powered by two Turbomeca Turmo engines driving a helicopter rotor with four blades.^[4]

The passenger cabin allows the reception of sixteen to twenty armed soldiers in military version,^[5] and fourteen to sixteen passengers in civil version. The two-seater cockpit of the helicopter is type side by side. A mechanic, also serving the mechanical winch, takes place at the rear. He can used the removable machine gun.^[6]

SA-330 users

At the beginning of 2013, these countries were still using or had used the military Puma:

Abu Dhabi

Algeria

Argentina

Belgium

Brazil

Chad

Cameroon

Chile

Ivory Coast

Democratic Republic of the Congo

France

Germany

Greece

Indonesia

Iran

Ireland

Kuwait

Malawi

Mexico

Morocco

Nepal

Nigeria

Oman

Pakistan

Philippines

Portugal

Romania

South Africa

Senegal

Slovenia

Spain

Switzerland

Togo

Turkey

United Arab Emirates

United Kingdom

SA-330 variants

If the majority of Puma was built by Aérospatiale in France and the UK by Westland but.^[7] A few others were produced under license in Indonesia, Romania, and South Africa.

French built Puma

SA-330A, SA-330B, SA-330Ba, SA-330C, SA-330E, SA-330F, SA-330G, SA-330H, SA-330J, SA-330L, SA-330S, SA-330Z. SA-330A is the prototype and SA-330Z is an experimental version.

British built Puma

Puma HC Mk-1, Puma HC Mk-2. British production is only for the military version.

Indonesian built Puma

NAS-330J. Indonesian Puma are built by IPTN, indigenous aeronautical industry, for civilian and military.

Romanian built Puma

IAR-330, IAR-330 SOCAT. Romanian Puma are built by IAR, indigenous aeronautical industriy, for civilian and military. IAR-330 SOCAT is an attack and transport helicopter, like soviet helicopter Mi-24 Hind.

South African built Puma

Oryx. South African Puma are built by Atlas Aircraft Corporation, indigenous aeronautical industriy, for civilian and military.

Aérospatiale SA-330 Puma Media

Rear Adm. Denby H. Starling, Commander, Carrier Group Eight (CCG 8) returns to USS George Washington (CVN 73) in an SA 330B Puma helicopter assigned to the 38,000-ton French nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, Charles de Gaulle.
Instrument panel of an SA 330 Puma in service with the West German border police, 1985.
South African Air Force Puma, 2011
Upgraded British Puma HC2 in 2014
A RAF Puma HC1 in flight, 2012
Portuguese Air Force Puma during a Space Shuttle recovery exercise at Lajes Air Base, Azores in 2004
French Army Puma at RIAT 2010
A French Army Aérospatiale Puma
A Puma HC2 of No. 33 Squadron using flares over Afghanistan while deployed in the country as part of Operation Toral, 2015.