Gardai/Air Corps Heads Up.

Steyr

Hi all 272 arrived a few days ago ( EC 135 T2 ) and will replace 255 ( AS355N Squirrel ) she is to be sold.

This is how it looks now:

Reg. 254, Defender (Garda AS1).
Reg. 255, AS355N Squirrel (Garda AS2) will be sold.
Reg. 256, EC 135 T2 (Garda AS3) will be called Garda AS2.
Reg. 272, EC 135 T2+ will be Garda AS3.

AS= Air Support

Hagar

Just for info, the EC in the designation EC 135 stands for écureuil, French for squirrel.

Manic Moran

Here's me thinking it stood for EuroCopter, the manufacturer. There's nothing squirrel-like about the EC-725.

After all, when the Squirrels were being produced, their designation began with AS, for AeroSpatiale.

NTM

Steyr

Yes i was told EC stood for EuroCopter.

V Bull

Hey guys check out www.irishairpics.com. It has all the latest photos of choppers.

Steyr

V Bull wrote: »

Hey guys check out www.irishairpics.com. It has all the latest photos of choppers.

Hi V Bull welcome,:) im a member of IAP and a regular poster there too and it's well known over here.

Oilrig

Hagar,

as has been stated, the "EC" in EC 350 stands for EuroCopter. Other, older models were known as "AS" as in AeroSpatiale - one of the component companies of Eurocopter.

EC 350 "écureuil, French for squirrel", also known as the "Astar" in North America, the twin engined version (EC 355) is colloquially known as the "twin squirrel"

Oilrig, one time helo operator,

now: sad, miserable, anorak, pedantic poster.

Hagar

I was told that by my ex-boss who had a twin Squirrel, which I flew in many times on business. Now I have to go searching.

ChapOfDRyans

anyboby no why the aircorp retired the puma helo?

seems like a nice sized helo which in my opinion is needed in the air corp

Nuttzz

they only leased it for a period of time

Steyr

ChapOfDRyans wrote: »

anyboby no why the aircorp retired the puma helo?

seems like a nice sized helo which in my opinion is needed in the air corp

Just leased for a short time and used mainly by the ARW and for heavylifting.

Oilrig

Puma was indeed a lease job. Ancient technology now...

An absolute fine helo none the less and still serving solidly world wide.

ChapOfDRyans

is there any plans in the pipeline for a helo similar to the puma,a modern version

OS119

its now called the EC 725 Cougar.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eurocopter_EC_725

its bigger, more powerful and can do 'hot n high' operations.

dogs danglies...

Irish_Army01

OS119 wrote: »

its now called the EC 725 Cougar.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eurocopter_EC_725

its bigger, more powerful and can do 'hot n high' operations.

dogs danglies...

dogs danglies lol. Maybe in about 30 yrs when its out of date:D

ChapOfDRyans

OS119 wrote: »

its now called the EC 725 Cougar.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eurocopter_EC_725

its bigger, more powerful and can do 'hot n high' operations.

dogs danglies...

our air corps hardly have them do they or are the thinking about buying some?

Oilrig

Once the AW 139 gets over its "Hangar Queen" phase I suspect it will provide fine service...

Methinks the bods have learned from the Dauphin experience regarding daft specs.

Puma/Cougar airframe is too old.

ChapOfDRyans

you think it would be to costly and difficult to source parts for the helo