Aerospatiale Puma/Super Puma/Cougar

[Weaver]

As far as I can see, we don't have a thread for this type. If I'm being dumb Mods, please feel free to merge the threads...

Anyway, here's a pic of a Lebanese Air Force project from a few years ago to make a Puma gunship by adding ADEN cannons and Matra 155 rocket pods taken from their decommissioned Hunters. The project got as far as successful firing trials, but didn't go into production because they found the money to buy new armed Cougars instead.



Source, including more pics: https://milinme.wordpress.com/2013/10/10/lebanese-air-force-puma-gunship/

[McColm]

Good idea, maybe the Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm Whiff Super Puma.

[PR19_Kit]

Those are some fairly 'agricultural' girders holding the whole shebang together! 

[Weaver]

Those are some fairly 'agricultural' girders holding the whole shebang together! 

A lot of 'first world' helicopter armamant sytems are like that internally too, it's just that they can spare the dollars to put pretty fairings around them. When you have doors on either side of a load carrying cargo floor, it's an awfully tempting engineering solution to just put a couple of beams right across, sticking out on both sides.

[zenrat]

Those are some fairly 'agricultural' girders holding the whole shebang together! 

A lot of 'first world' helicopter armamant sytems are like that internally too, it's just that they can spare the dollars to put pretty fairings around them. When you have doors on either side of a load carrying cargo floor, it's an awfully tempting engineering solution to just put a couple of beams right across, sticking out on both sides.

Plus its a prototype for trials.  Time to pretty it up is when you've proved the concept.

[Thorvic]

Well if you get the Italeri kit the launch rail for the Exocet is pretty much a rudimentary affair

[Captain Canada]

Looks good. I'd like to see a pic of the entire chopper.

[PR19_Kit]

After looking at the pic again it amazes me that they went to the trouble to custom build an aerodynamic fairing for the ADEN cannon while NOT doing so for the girders! 

[NARSES2]

After looking at the pic again it amazes me that they went to the trouble to custom build an aerodynamic fairing for the ADEN cannon while NOT doing so for the girders! 

Yup, but then they could paint that dragon on the cannon fairing 

[Weaver]

After looking at the pic again it amazes me that they went to the trouble to custom build an aerodynamic fairing for the ADEN cannon while NOT doing so for the girders! 

Maybe it's as much for weather/dust protection as aerodynamics...

[PR19_Kit]

After looking at the pic again it amazes me that they went to the trouble to custom build an aerodynamic fairing for the ADEN cannon while NOT doing so for the girders! 

Maybe it's as much for weather/dust protection as aerodynamics...

Of course, added ferocity value............ 

[zenrat]

I'll tell you what happened.
They designed a nice compact, good looking, streamlined cannon nacelle and then some nuff nuff at the Air Ministry said "oh, by the way, we want rocket pods as well..."

[AS.12]

Sud Aviation had teamed with Vought to submit the SA.330 as one of the first-stage proposals for the US Army UTTAS, which eventually led to the Boeing and Sikorsky fly-off.

The main stumbling-block for the Puma in that competition was its height, being unable to fit into a C-130.  But Boeing compromised their helicopter by obsessing over that requirement, leading to problems during flight testing, whereas Sikorsky decided to ignore the requirement and just listed it as 'unattainable'.

Given that same flexibility, perhaps some point-of-divergence that necessitates more urgent replacement of UH-1s and at least an initial acquisition of Americanized-Pumas?  Perhaps later with T700s, would give performance like the Oryx.

[DarrenP2]

one of the problems with the puma is they are top heavy a reason maybe why the Fleet Air Arm wouldn't go for it.
However I like the puma and would love to have seen Puma being more widely used across various commonwealth countries like Australia, New Zealand and Canada replacing early model Hueys like the B & D. In a continuing (post 79) Rhodesia and in the RAF to replace the wessex in 72 Sqn in Northern Ireland and 60 Sqn as a UK home based sqn. maybe also replacing wessex in Cyprus and Hong Kong. They were good to work with in Belize.
I suspect the choice of Puma was based allot on the experience of the RAF and FAA helicopter forces in Borneo where capacity was an issue.

[kitnut617]

Those are some fairly 'agricultural' girders holding the whole shebang together! 

Exactly my thoughts too Kit