Eurocopter AS350 Écureuil

what is it?

The Airbus Helicopters H125 (previously the Eurocopter AS350) Écureuil, or Squirrel, is a single-engine light utility helicopter designed and originally manufactured by the French corporation Aérospatiale, later by Eurocopter, which became Airbus Helicopters. In North America, the H125 is marketed as the AStar. The AS355 Ecureuil 2 is a twin-engine variant, marketed in North America as the TwinStar.

🔎How to recognise it: 1 turboshaft engine · 10.7 m main rotor

base stats

• speed 245 km/hcruise speed
• range 662 kmwithout refuelling
• seats 6passengers
• size 2,250 kgmax take-off weight
• built 3,028made in total

Bars compare against all aircraft: 3,500 km/h, 20,000 km, 850 seats; size and number built on a log scale up to 640 t (An-225) and 45,000 built (Cessna 172).

fun facts

• 🎂First flew 52 years ago, in 1974.
• 🚗Rotor of 10.7 m: about 2 cars parked nose to tail.

turboshaft: A turbine that turns a shaft, usually a helicopter rotor.

spec sheet

first flight

1974-06-26

introduced

1977

retired

2017

status

still flying

number built

3,028

role

light utility helicopter

origin

🇫🇷 France

makers

Airbus Helicopters, Marignane, Aérospatiale

engines

1× Turbomeca Arriel 2B

crew

1

passengers

6

length

10.9 m

rotor diameter

10.7 m

height

3.2 m

max take-off weight

2,250 kg

top speed

—

cruise speed

245 km/h

range

662 km

ceiling

4,600 m

Specs are for the version in the Wikipedia article's specification section. Blank means the sources don't say.

family