Heller 80485 Ecureuil Bombardier d'Eau

The Eurocopter AS350 is a modern French multi-role light helicopter. The flight test date was in 1974 and production started a year later. The helicopter - in the AS350-B1 version - is 10.93 meters long and has an average rotor diameter of 10.7 meters. The drive is provided by a single Turbomeca Arriel 2B engine with 847 HP. The helicopter has a classic layout with a single main rotor and a propeller on the tail boom.

The Eurocopter AS350 was developed as the successor to the Alouette II. Compared to its predecessor, it differed in many elements: first of all, it had a different power unit with much more power, it also received a larger crew compartment, and its structure was made largely of composites. It also turned out to be the first helicopter in the history of Eurocopter produced on the assembly line. The machine turned out to be very successful - it is characterized by good performance, a very high degree of reliability and low operating costs. After Eurocopter was taken over by Airbus, production continued. Development versions were also created in the course of production, not rarely far from the original AS350 version - mainly the AS355 or AS550 helicopters (combat version of the helicopter). The AS350 machine has gained a lot of popularity and in various versions has been or is still used by countries such as Argentina, Austria, Brazil, France and Israel.