Aérospatiale SA-365 Dauphin 2 facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Aérospatiale SA-365 Dauphin 2 |
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Aérospatiale SA-365N Dauphin 2 of the Fleet Air Arm. | |
| Role | Helicopter |
| National origin | France |
| Manufacturer | Aérospatiale and after Eurocopter. |
| First flight | 1975 |
| Introduction | 1978 |
| Status | Active |
| Primary user | French Navy |
| Produced | 1978-Present. |
| Number built | examples. |
The Aérospatiale SA-365 Dauphin 2 is a special French helicopter. It's used for many different jobs. Both regular people (civilians) and the military use it.
This helicopter is super helpful for search and rescue missions. It can also move people or supplies (transport). Sometimes, it even helps in war by fighting submarines. For this job, it can carry one or two torpedoes. The Dauphin 2 is a newer, improved version of an older helicopter called the Aérospatiale SA-360 Dauphin. It has two powerful turboshaft engines.
Different Kinds of Dauphin 2 Helicopters
A "variant" is like a different model or version of the same helicopter. The Dauphin 2 has several variants, each with unique features.
- SA-365C: This was one of the first versions. It used flat pads instead of wheels for landing.
- SA-365F: This was a very important version. It had wheels that could fold up into the helicopter after takeoff.
- SA-365N: This version of the SA-365F was made to be sold to other countries.
- SA-366: This special version was built for the United States Coast Guard. It's known as the HH-65 Dolphin.
- SA-365K: This was the first version not made for the Navy. It was designed for aerial attack missions.
- SA-365M: This was the first official military version. Later, it was called the AS-565 Panther.
- SA-365DGV: This name stands for "Dauphin à Grande Vitesse," which means "High Speed Dauphin" in English. It was an experimental helicopter used to test how fast a helicopter could go. Its name sounds like the French high-speed rail train, the TGV.
In 1992, a new company called Eurocopter was formed. Because of this, all helicopter names that started with SA- were changed to AS-. So, the SA-365N became the AS-365N.
There's also a Chinese version called the Harbin Z-9. It's built in China under a special agreement. The Eurocopter EC155 is a newer helicopter that started out as an improved AS-365N4.
Who Uses the Dauphin 2?
Many militaries and government groups around the world use the Aérospatiale SA-365N Dauphin 2. Some of these countries include:
