Gazelle????

[anti-talk]

I am thinking about buying a Gazelle from Canada and re registering it in the US. I have a flight school down here that may be able to use it and help defray some of my operating costs.

Is this aircraft type certificated for the US or will it be on an 'experimental' ticket and be precluded from Commercial operations.

Advice would be greatly appreciated.

Geoff

[cptcoma]

Where is your flight school? California? Please let me know if it worked out. I would love to fly an hour an this incredible aircraft.

[spw1177]

I seem to remember that both a civil and a military version of the Gazelle was produced. Although I couldn't tell you how to tell them apart.

 

Try contacting Rotor Leasing in CO (link below), I have never delt with them but they refirbish Gazelles.

 

Rotor Leasing

[Huey]

Porsche 911 vs. Gazelle. Check the preview video

 

http://www.7digital.com/stores/productDeta...p=54&sid=217337

[Heli_Girl]

Ah! I wanna watch that whole video, eh, can people in the US buy it? How much would it be converted to US $? Im so confused, but i wanna watch it lol, looks neat.

[Huey]

Hey Heli Girl

check the "interesting video" post from mdash156. He put the actual free link on there plus a bunch more.

Happy Friday

[Astazou]

I don't know what kind of payload and commercial use you are talking about doing but there are two models of the Gazelle. The SA341 and SA342 differ only by engine power output. The 341 pumps out around 590shp and the 342 muscles out about 858shp. I have flown in the sa341 here in Alabama and the aircraft starts to struggle with 3 adults and the full tank of gas in the heat of the summer. However, I've read the 342 with it's extra compressor can take 5 adult and a full tank of fuel fairly easy. If it is the civilian model (non military) it should not be labeled experimental. The military model is mechanically very similar to the civilian model. Like the civilian version there is the 341 and 342 but the transmission is built a little bit more durable. Also the military version is experimental.

[mrose]

The Gazelle. They do have a Std a/w certificate in the US if they were brought in as a civil model - easy to check on the FAA web site.

 

We brought them into Alaska during the pipeline years on a special get to the site fast contract, flew it only as boot leg time but rode in them alot. We had 2 and IAT had 4 or 5 I think. They crashed three of them that I know about. A story for another time. I ran the fleet we had, never crashed any and sold them when the contract ran out in 3 years. The 341G is the Astazoo III and the J is the Ast 14. The big improvement is in the finistron, they later added airfoil type blades and that really helped as that thing pulls 214 HP in full RH pedal (French equip spins the other way boys) in the first models. New one is much more effecient. They are a reliable machine but pretty cramped. I would be scared of the insurance bill as they had a fatal crash again recently if you could get commercial ins at all.

 

They will chop along at 150 all day, when you fly 100 you think you are in a caddy on main street. Be ready for a big parts bill. There is an AD on the MGB and TT straps that is big bucks. The tail feathers eat parts, bolts bushings spacers all with a big price tag. The door handle was $2500 in 1977$$ Clutch is a fortune, (it should engage at a certian speed - it's in the book) the motor is 230K to build. There is an outfit in the UK that has lots spare parts as well as Aeromechanic who is a dealer near the factory at Marigange (sp) FR. There was a few EX-mil machines around as experimental from UK production. Hope this helps,

 

God bless,

 

Mark

[Astazou]

The Gazelle. They do have a Std a/w certificate in the US if they were brought in as a civil model - easy to check on the FAA web site.

 

We brought them into Alaska during the pipeline years on a special get to the site fast contract, flew it only as boot leg time but rode in them alot. We had 2 and IAT had 4 or 5 I think. They crashed three of them that I know about. A story for another time. I ran the fleet we had, never crashed any and sold them when the contract ran out in 3 years. The 341G is the Astazoo III and the J is the Ast 14. The big improvement is in the finistron, they later added airfoil type blades and that really helped as that thing pulls 214 HP in full RH pedal (French equip spins the other way boys) in the first models. New one is much more effecient. They are a reliable machine but pretty cramped. I would be scared of the insurance bill as they had a fatal crash again recently if you could get commercial ins at all.

 

They will chop along at 150 all day, when you fly 100 you think you are in a caddy on main street. Be ready for a big parts bill. There is an AD on the MGB and TT straps that is big bucks. The tail feathers eat parts, bolts bushings spacers all with a big price tag. The door handle was $2500 in 1977$$ Clutch is a fortune, (it should engage at a certian speed - it's in the book) the motor is 230K to build. There is an outfit in the UK that has lots spare parts as well as Aeromechanic who is a dealer near the factory at Marigange (sp) FR. There was a few EX-mil machines around as experimental from UK production. Hope this helps,

 

God bless,

 

Mark

 

 

I curious, what was the cause of the three Alaskian Gazelle crashes.

[mrose]

I curious, what was the cause of the three Alaskian Gazelle crashes.

 

IAT crew Sonny Wallace and Jeff ? I can't remember his last name, took off from Coldfoot pipeline camp in

minus 51 F. Had a cyclic hard over. Jeff said "I had both hands on it and would have had both feet too but we hit the ground first". Same winter a very famous Alaskan pilot, Al Hertauger (sp) crashed in a white-out near Ft Yukon - all aboard lost. Pretty sad day in our camp. Next spring Clyde K. - this has been a while, crashed doing survey work in a 2000+ ft OGE hover when finestron GB blew. His own fault, they had been adding oil daily due to an output seal leak. FGB had no oil. Clyde broke his back bad in that one, came back to fly with us and got into settling w/power in a AII, walked away. Latest one I know of (2000) a guy near NY flew out over and then into the water at night and possibly had vertigo. Know one knows, no radio call is what I heard. IAT had one more mishap - practicing auto at Merril field next to the FAA, hit so hard they chopped the tail boom clean off and even cut a circle in the tarmack with the blade tips. They flew a Frenchmen in to fix that one. We were happy when the Astars came out.

 

Mrose

[anti-talk]

Thanks for the info guys - operating costs and parts availability are going to preclude this machine I think.