Aérospatiale SA 321 Super Frelon

[Just call me Ray]

Well, I've always been surprised why the Super Frelon never got developed into something more contemporary to compete with the Super Stallion/etc instead of just having the design sold to the Chinese and then forgotten. Of course the Chinese might develop it further anyway...

[Geoff]

South African navy in the 70's - 80's?
CAF long range SAR?
Swedish Marine?
IIRC the Aeronaval use them to escort their SSBNs into and out of harbour - who else might need a similar capability??

[kitnut617]

You can get it in 1/72 scale:
http://www.mach2.fr/superfrg.htm

Also, the Heller 1/35 kit was reboxed by Aurora, they also did it in 1/50 and 1/128 (this scale was reboxed by AHR, Hema, Starfix & Starplast), and 1/152 (reboxed by Frog), apart from Mach II's 1/72 kit another company called Mee did one in 1/50.  If you are doing a search for these other kits, it might be listed as a SUD-Aviation Super Frelon

[Mossie]

Iraq had Super Frelons, so how about Iran?  Either captured in the Iran-Iraq war, or fled across the border during the Gulf War & put into IRI Navy service?  Similar colours to their Sea Kings maybe?



Argentina maybe in the Falklands War?

I think both of these options might have a few people scratching their heads, especially the first one.

[jcf]

Paint it up as Marine One. 
That should cause apoplexy in some circles.

Jon

[elmayerle]

Paint it up as Marine One. 
That should cause apoplexy in some circles.

Heh, I like that and the basic shape is very similar to that of the VH-3's still used today.  *chuckle* I can just imagine how that'd go over where I work, though.

[XV107]

The Frelon was considered for the RAF at one point, according to John Dowling's official history of the first 20 years of RAF RW ops. It was rejected in favour of the first, abortive, attempt by the RAF to obtain Chinooks.

If the RAF had gone for them, then the chances of an RN purchase would've increased, and it's not impossible to imagine the Frelon as being another part of the agreement that led to the Puma, Lynx and Gazelle being operated by France and the UK.

So you could do an RAF support helicopter (would probably need land legs). That could, for instance, be done in the desert 'pink' from Op Granby/Desert Storm, or a wraparound camo, or perhaps even in the sand and stone camo the RAF transport fleet wore, if doing a Middle East Air Force version.

Or, you could do an RAF SAR machine. Not quite sure how it'd look in the yellow scheme, but it'd retain the undercarriage from the kit, and the nose radar would be handy.

Or, it could be a 'Jungly' commando support helicopter (debatable whether the undercarriage would've been altered for the land version or not), perhaps a Falklands campaign veteran. Or, given the Exocet capability, the RN might have kept a few for itself for operation off HMS Hermes and HMS Invincible...

[chrisonord]

I think a combat search and rescue version would be good, like another version of the HH-60 Pavehawk. door mounted miniguns or Gecals, a pir of stub wings with a mixture of rocket pods, anti armour missiles and mistral air defence missiles. Perhaps some GIAT cannons facing forward to keep the enemies heads down prior to arrival. Plenty of IR pods and Flare pods on it and a FLIR pod on the front.
This is my kind of special ops helicopter, and I have done three HH/MH-60's like this in 1/72nd scale and I have 2 HH-60's awaiting the build.

[jcf]

GIAT 20mm M621 on 19A helicopter mount as used on French Super Frelon and Puma/Super Puma.

Jon

(also posted in Puma thread)

[Jeffry Fontaine]

GIAT 20mm M621 on 19A helicopter mount as used on French Super Frelon and Puma/Super Puma.

Jon,

Thanks for sharing the image.  Have you seen anything showing a smaller .30" or .50" machine gun mounted on the Super Frelon or Puma?

[Archibald]

Well, I've always been surprised why the Super Frelon never got developed into something more contemporary to compete with the Super Stallion/etc instead of just having the design sold to the Chinese and then forgotten. Of course the Chinese might develop it further anyway...

Because we french are good at wasting excellents designs by lack of upgrades - see the Vautour, Mirage 2000-9, and others-
More seriously, lack of funds pushed the french armies towards upgrades of the lighter and cheaper  Puma, not Super Frelon.

Can you imagine a Super Frelon upgraded to the Caracal level ? (Puma - Super Puma - Caracal)

The Israelis upgraded their Super Frelon with CH-53 turbins, but nothing spectacular come of this.



by the way - I'm back, and if the mod agree, something big will come soon - 

[dy031101]

For a more readily available, there is also Ka-31. Of course, indigenous solution based on Z-8 would be exotic as well.

I agree with the Ka-31 idea - after all the PLAN already operates the related Kamov Ka-28 from their Sovremenny class missile destroyers (see pic).

Mainland Chinese media is recently reporting that an AEW helicopter based on the Z-8 (or rather a derivative of it, without the original's amphibious features) is currently under development.

[MAD]

Maybe the RAN could use these instead of the Sea King?

Regards,

Greg

Although not a big fan of French equipment - It would be interesting to see in RAN markings!!
I have a personal like for the Sikorsky CH-3 'What If' in both RAN (ASW/SAR) and Army (Medium Assault) service and markings

M.A.D

[Weaver]

The Super Frelon would make a good basis for an "Aérospatiale Skycrane", although I don't imagine that anyone's in a hurry to throw away most of a nice model.....

[chrisonord]

I have been looking for a Heller super frelon in 1/72nd scale since...............
Can't find one, and when I didn't want one they seemed to be everywhere, very wiffable heavy copter, that would look good as an armed assault helicopter for my Honduras special forces. Should compliment their HH-3 I did a while back.
Chris.