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5 photos from Wikimedia Commons · credits & licences
- 1. Helicopter Djinn rotor mast and blade: No machine-readable author provided. Jaypee assumed (based on copyright claims).· CC BY-SA 3.0
- 2. SO.1221 Djinn over Zandvoort (cropped): Anefo· CC0
- 3. Sud-Ouest Djinn (remix): Alan Wilson· CC BY-SA 4.0
- 4. Sud-Ouest Djinn, Santa Lucia AFB, Mexico: Aeroprints.com· CC BY-SA 3.0
- 5. Tuyère pale Djinn: Duch.seb· CC BY-SA 3.0
what is it?
The Sud-Ouest SO.1221 Djinn (alternatively written S.O.1221) is a French two-seat light helicopter designed and manufactured by aircraft manufacturer Sud-Ouest (SNCASO), which was later merged into Sud Aviation. It was the first production French helicopter, as well as being one of the first practical European helicopters to be produced. The Djinn was also the first rotorcraft to harness tip-jet propulsion to enter production, and the first production turbine powered helicopter.
How to recognise it: 1 engine · 11 m main rotor
base stats
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 73 years ago, in 1953.
- Rotor of 11 m: about 2 cars parked nose to tail.
spec sheet
- first flight
- 1953-01-02
- status
- retired
- number built
- 178
- role
- light helicopter
- origin
- 🇫🇷 France
- makers
- Sud-Ouest
- engines
- 1× Turbomeca Palouste IV
- crew
- 1
- length
- 5.3 m
- rotor diameter
- 11 m
- height
- 2.6 m
- max take-off weight
- 800 kg
- top speed
- 130 km/h
- range
- 220 km
- ceiling
- 3,000 m
Specs are for the version in the Wikipedia article's specification section. Blank means the sources don't say.
Sources: Wikidata Q537709, Wikipedia: SNCASO SO.1221 Djinn (CC BY-SA 4.0).Updated 2026-10-24.