Aerospatiale SA330 Puma
1965 · Twin-engine turbine helicopter
A twin-engined all weather, day or night transport helicopter, the Puma was originally developed
as the Sud Aviation SA 330A Alouette IV to fill an Aviation Legere del l' Armee de Terre (French Army Aviation, ALAT) requirement for a medium troop transport helicopter following its experiences in Algeria.
It was the third helicopter to be added to the Anglo-French helicopter agreement along the Gazelle and Lynx, selected (as the SA.330E) to satisfy the RAFs Tactical Transport Programme.
Puma has a four blade main rotor and a five blade tail rotor, with a small, port side stabiliser opposing it. The main body is a semi-monocoque, all metal, pod and boom structure, covered in a stressed metal skin, all supported on a retractable, tricycle undercarriage. It also features a large, jettisonable, sliding cargo door on each side.
First prototype (F-ZWWN) flew on 15 Apr 1965. The last of 6 pre-production airframes flew on 30 Jul 1968. It has proved an excellent platform for technical development, leading to several versions and it formed the basis of the AS332 Super Puma model.
Puma has a four blade main rotor and a five blade tail rotor, with a small, port side stabiliser opposing it. The main body is a semi-monocoque, all metal, pod and boom structure, covered in a stressed metal skin, all supported on a retractable, tricycle undercarriage. It also features a large, jettisonable, sliding cargo door on each side.
First prototype (F-ZWWN) flew on 15 Apr 1965. The last of 6 pre-production airframes flew on 30 Jul 1968. It has proved an excellent platform for technical development, leading to several versions and it formed the basis of the AS332 Super Puma model.
Production by Aerospatiale ceased in 1987 by which time a total of 697 airframes had been built
Derivatives & Versions
| SA330B Puma | 1968 | French Army production version powered by 1185 shp Turbomeca Turmo IIIC4 engines |
| SA330C Puma | 1969 | First export production version powered by 1400 shp Turmo IVB engines |
| SA330E Puma | 1970 | First flight November 25, 1970 produced by Westland as the Puma HC. |
| SA330F Puma | 1970 | Civilian export version powered by 1185 shp Turbomeca Turmo IIIC4 engines |
| SA330G Puma | 1974 | Upgraded civilian version with 1575 shp Turbomeca Turmo IVC engines |
| → 330 | 1975 | Aerospatiale SA. |
| SA330J Puma | 1975 | Civilian transport version with composite rotor blades and with higher maximum takeoff weight |
| SA330H Puma | 1976 | Upgraded airframes with Turbomeca IVC engines and composite main rotor blades |
| SA330L Puma | 1976 | Military version of the SA 330J Puma, both based on the SA 330H. |
| → AS332 Super Puma | 1978 | Developed from the successful SA330, the Super Puma first flew on 13 September 1978. |
| → nsa330 puma | 1981 | license produced in Indonesia, airframes listed under Aerospatiale SA330. |
| NSA330J Puma | 1981 | NSA330J produced under license by IPTN in Indonesia |
| → Puma Mk2 | 2012 | Twenty four Royal Air Force Puma HC. |