a larger aircraft with newer engines.
Designation: Aerospatiale / Eurocopter AS 332 Super Puma / AS 532 Cougar
Classification Type: Multi-role Medium Lift Helicopter
Contractor: Aerospatiale / Eurocopter - France
Country of Origin: France
Initial Year of Service: 1982
Number Built: 540
The Super Puma was developed by French-based Aerospatiale (formerly Sud
Aviation) form the successful AS 330 Puma series of medium-lift utility
helicopters. The newer Super Puma design was essentially a base Puma with an
improved avionics suite, enlarged fuselage, new Turbomeca-brand Makila-type
1,700 shaft horsepower turboshaft engines, intake fitters, ventral fin
structure along the tail boom, revised nose assembly and a composite main
rotor blade. Since the type entered production, Aerospatiale had merged with
Germany's Daimler-Benz Aerospace AG (DASA) to become Eurocopter in 1992. The
Super Puma is now marketed under the Eurocopter brand label though it still
retains the "AS" (for Aerospatiale) designation in its model number.
The Super Puma prototype achieved first flight on September 13th, 1978. The
prototype was designated as the AS 331. The new design, being larger than
the Puma, was allowed greater cabin space for more passengers and more fuel
for greater ranges. The nose featured provisions for the Honeywell Primus
500 or Bendix/King RDR 1400 series weather radars. Super Pumas were
eventually produced in short and long fuselage versions. Early users of
Super Pumas became the commercial oil industry where the large helicopter
proved popular in shuttling oil rig workers to and fro.
Externally, the Super Puma shares many of its characteristics with the
preceding Puma design. Its engines are mounted forward and high atop the
fuselage exhausting outwards above the crew cabin. The engines power a
four-bladed composite construction main rotor and five-bladed tail rotor
mounted to starboard. The pilot and co-pilot are fitted into a glazed
forward-mounted canopy with excellent views in all vital directions. Each
pilot is afforded an automobile-style door for easy entry and exit. The
fuselage sides are dominated by two large cabin doors (one door to a side)
with cabin windows. The undercarriage is full retractable and features two
main landing gears (single-wheeled) recessing into low-mounted fuselage side
sponsons as well as a nose gear fitting two wheels recessing behind and
under the cockpit floor. Like the Puma series before it, the Super Puma
features an elevated empennage with a single vertical tail fin and a
horizontal tailplane jutting out of the portside of the fin.
Like the Puma before it, the Super Puma has been widely accepted into
service with dozens of countries around the world. The Super Puma has since
been branched into a dozen or so variants beginning with the AS 331
prototype. This produced the AS 332A commercial pre-production models
followed by the first commercial production examples designated as the AS
332C. Military pre-production models became the AS 332B followed by the
initial militarized forms in the AS 332B1. The AS 332 C1 was a dedicated
Search & Rescue (SAR) example equipped with six cabin stretchers and a
surface search radar. The AS 332F became a militarized anti-submarine and
anti-ship variant while the AS 332F1 was a base navalized Super Puma
modified to contend with the rigors of the salty ocean environment.
The AS 332L first flew on October 10th, 1980, appeared as a new civilian
production model and sported a lengthened fuselage for an increase in its
cabin space and fuel capacity as well as uprated turboshaft engines.
Operations of the type were certified in 1983. The AS 332L1 was a similar
model featuring an even more lengthened fuselage containing an airliner-type
interior and uprated Makila 1A1 turboshaft engines and made its operational
appearance in 1986. The AS 332M became a militarized version of the AS 332L
model while the AS 332M1 was a similar militarized AS 332L with a lengthened
fuselage.
The AS 332L2 "Super Puma Mk II" was a further civilian-based transport
development of the type beginning service in 1993 and featuring a
long-fuselage for an extra row of seats. These Super Pumas were also given a
spheriflex rotor head with EFIS flight instrumentation as well as longer
main rotor blades with parabolic tips and a four-axis Automatic
Flight-Control System (AFCS). The cockpit was updated to include four large
multi-function LCD screens. Passenger seating is between 19 and 24 persons.
A 15-passenger VIP model (Super Puma Mk II VIP) is also available complete
with galley and toilet.
The AS 332L1 utilized twin Turbomeca Makila 1A1-series turboshaft engines
running at 1,742 shaft horsepower each while the AS 332L2 fitted twin
Turbomeca 1A2-series turboshaft engines rated at 1,819 shaft horsepower
each. Top speed for the AS 332L1 was 278 kilometers-per-hour with a range of
841 kilometers and a service ceiling of 20,000 feet. Rate-of-climb was
listed at 1,618 feet-per-minute. Comparatively, the AS 332L2 operated at a
top speed of 278 kilometers-per-hour, a range of 831 kilometers, a service
ceiling of 23,622 feet and a rate-of-climb of 1,614 feet-per-minute.
The AS 332L has seen extensive production and use during its run. These are
now being replaced by the newer AS 332L2 Super Puma MK II series. Bristow
Helicopters acquired no fewer than 31 custom AS 332L's for its North
Sea-based offshore oil rig work. Customizations included folding cabin
seats, life rafts, jettisonable cabin doors, IFR instrumentation, de-icing
equipment, baggage compartments and North Sea-related navigational aid
equipment. These came under the designation of "Tiger" (sometimes called
"Super Tigers").
Indonesian Aerospace (formally IPTN) has license-produced the Super Puma as
the NAS 332L1 of which at least 7 were sold to Iran in a 1996 deal.
Beginning in 1990, Super Pumas were separated in their civilian and
militarized forms by the latter taking on the production designation of AS
532 "Cougar" (civilian models still retained their AS 332 designations). The
Cougar family now consists of the AS 532MC Mk I (note the "Mk I" mark
designation was retroactively applied to previous Super Puma forms) as a
Search & Rescue (SAR) platform, the AS 532SC Mk I as a short-fuselage
anti-submarine variant, the AS 532U2 Mk II as an unarmed base model, the AS
532A2 Mk II as another Search & Rescue form, the AS 532L2 Mk II featuring a
lengthened fuselage for extra seating and extended main rotor blades, and
the simplified AS 532 "Cougar 100" with fixed landing gear. Militarized
Super Puma/Cougar aircraft can display a broad range of armaments including
7.62mm general purpose cabin-door machine guns (on pintle mountings), 7.62mm
gun pods, rocket pods, anti-ship missiles and various makes of
air-to-surface missiles.
The Eurocopter EC 225 civilian and its EC 725 militarized variant is an
improved version of the Puma family line. This system first flew in November
of 2000 and features a five-bladed main rotor assembly. It also has a larger
cabin with newer Makila 1A4 turboshaft engines featuring FADEC (Full
Authority Digital Engine Control), a greater Maximum Take-Off Weight (MTOW)
and revised EFIS avionics.
Civilian operators of the Super Puma (in varied forms) includes Australia,
Azerbaijan, Brazil, Germany, Finland, Norway, Canada, Hong Kong, Iceland,
Japan, Malaysia, Puerto Rico, Morocco and the United Kingdom. Military
operators include Argentina, Brazil, Chile, China, Ecuador, Greece,
Indonesia, Kuwait, Mexico, Nigeria, Oman, Panama, Saudi Arabia, Singapore,
Spain, Switzerland, Sweden, Thailand, Venezuela and Vietnam.
A recent Super Puma-related accident occurred on April 1st, 2009 involving a
Bond Offshore Helicopter Super Puma AS 332L2 model. This system crashed into
the North Sea killing all 16 personnel on board. The cause of the accident
is reportedly related to the main rotor gearbox which had suffered failure
in the flight.
Variants
SA 330 "Puma" - Initial Puma Series Helicopter on which the Super Puma
series is based on.
AS 331 - Super Puma Prototype; stretched fuselage; new engines consisting of
Makila turboshafts.
AS 332 "Super Puma" - Base Series Designation;
AS 332A - Pre-Production Commercial Models
AS 332B - Pre-Production Military Models
AS 332B1 - Initial Military Production Model Designation
AS 332C - Initial Commercial Production Model Designation
AS 332C1 - Dedicated Search and Rescue Platform; fitted with search radar
system and six medical stretchers.
AS 332F - Anti-Submarine / Anti-Ship Version
AS 332F1 - Dedicated Navalized Super Puma
AS 332L - Commercial Model fitted with new engines; lengthened fuselage;
increased fuel capacity; enlarged cabin area; based on militarized AS 332M.
AS 332L1 - Commercial Model; lengthened fuselage; revised cabin interior.
AS 332L2 "Super Puma" Mk II - Commercial Model; EFIS flight instrumentation;
lengthened fuselage; spheriflex rotor heads; lengthened main rotor blades
with parabolic tips.
AS 332L2 "Super Puma" Mk II VIP - Fifteen passenger VIP transport fitted
with galley and toilet.
As 332L2 "Super Puma" Mk III - Proposed offshore/oil rig support model with
25% more cabin space.
AS 332M - Military Model based on the AS 332L; fitted with uprated Makila
1A1 series turboshaft engines.
AS 332M1 - Military Model; lengthened fuselage
NAS 332L1 - Indonesian Aerospace/IPTN license-production Super Puma; 7
examples sold to Iran.
AS 532 "Cougar" Mk I - Redesignated militarized Super Pumas by Eurocopter
from 1990 onwards.
AS 532MC "Cougar" Mk I - Search and Rescue Variant; short fuselage model
series.
AS 532SC "Cougar" Mk I - Short fuselage model series; anti-submarine
variant.
AS 532U2 "Cougar" Mk II - Unarmed Cougar Model.
AS 532A2 "Cougar" Mk II - Search and Rescue Model.
AS 532L2 "Cougar" Mk II - Stretched fuselage; extra seating; extended main
rotor blades.
AS 532 "Cougar 100" - Fixed landing gear; simplifications added throughout.
EC 725 - Larger cabin; five-blade main rotor system; fitted with Makila 1A4
turboshaft engines featuring FADEC; increased take-off weight; improved EFIS
avionics suite.
EC 225 - Civil Variant based on the militarized EC 725 model.
Specifications for the Eurocopter AS 532U2 Cougar Mk II
Dimensions:
Length: 51.02ft (15.55m)
Width: 60.01ft (18.29m)
Height: 16.11ft (4.91m)
Performance: About MACH
Max Speed: 170mph (273kmh; 147kts)
Max Range: 494miles (795km)
Rate-of-Climb:1,260ft/min (384m/min)
Service Ceiling: 13,448ft (4,099m; 2.5miles)
Structure:
Accommodation: 3 + 19
Hardpoints: 2
Empty Weight: 10,902lbs (4,945kg)
MTOW: 21,493lbs (9,749kg)
Powerplant:
Engine(s): 2 x Turbomeca Makila 1A2 turboshaft engines generating 1,845shp
while driving a four-blade main rotor and tail rotor.
Armament Suite:
Mission-Specific / Operator-Specific optional armament can include any of
the following:
7.62mm Gun Pods
Rocket Pods
AM 39 Exocet Anti-Ship Missiles
Air-to-Suface Missiles (Various Makes)
7.62mm Cabin Door Machine Guns on Pintle Mounts
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