Uncontrolled copy not subject to amendment Airmanship Knowledge for Air Cadets Learning Outcome 3 Know How to Identify Military Aircraft Part 4: Helicopters Revision 3.00

Contents Helicopters: Chinook HC2 / HC2A / HC3 Merlin HC3 / HC3A Puma HC1 Griffin HAR2 / HT1 Squirrel HT1 and Twin Squirrel HCC1 Sea King HAR3 / HAR3A Agusta A109E

1. Chinook HC2 / HC2A / HC3 Reporting Name: Chinook Role Letters and Marks: HC2 / HC2A / HC3 Role: Heavy-Lift Helicopter

Chinook HC2 / HC2A / HC3 The Chinook is a tandem-rotored, twin-engined medium-lift helicopter with a crew of four It can carry up to 45 fully equipped troops or up to 11 tonnes of equipment either internally or under-slung A number of Chinook HC2 helicopters have recently been updated to HC2A standard with modifications to increase the strength of the airframe. The Chinook HC3 is the RAF version of the US MH-47E Special Operations Chinook The Chinook HC3 can be distinguished from the HC2 by its larger fuel sponsons and longer nose

Technical Data Rotor Diameter: 18.29M Length: HC2 15.54M HC3 15.9M Crew: 4 Maximum Speed: 157kts (291km/h) at max. weight Engines: HC2 2 x Avco Lycoming T55-L-712 turboshafts HC3 2x Honeywell 55-GA-714 turboshafts

Chinook HC2 / HC2A

Chinook HC3

2. Merlin HC3 / HC3A Reporting Name: Merlin Role Letters and Marks: HC3 / HC3A Role: Medium-Lift Helicopter

Merlin HC3 / HC3A Merlin HC3 is operated by 28 Sqn (HC3) and 78 Sqn (HC3A) at RAF Benson Merlin replaced the Westland Wessex in RAF service Six Merlin HC3As were purchased from the Royal Danish Air Force in 2007 to provide additional capacity on operations in Afghanistan The main visual difference between HC3 and HC3A is that they have different noses

Technical Data Rotor Diameter: 18.59M Length: 22.81M Crew: 2 Pilots 1 Crew Operating Speed: 167kts (309 km/h) Engines: 3x2240 shp (shaft horse power) Rolls-Royce turbomeca RTM 322

Merlin HC3

Merlin HC3A

3. Puma HC1 Reporting Name: Puma Role Letters and Marks: HC1 Role: Assault Transport Helicopter

Puma HC1 The Puma entered service in the RAF in 1971 It has auto pilot, a heated, ventilated and sound-proofed cabin, retractable undercarriage, and modern navigation and search systems The Puma has many roles but in the RAF it is used as a tactical transport and support helicopter with a casualty evacuation capability It can carry 16 fully equipped troops, or 6 stretchers and 6 sitting patients A 3,200 kgs under-slung cargo can be carried The tailboom, rotor blades and wheels can be removed to allow transportation in a Hercules to any theatre of operation

Technical Data Rotor Diameter: 15.1M Length: 14.1M Crew: 3 Maximum Speed: 142kts at max weight 158kts when lighter Engines: Two Turbomeca Turmo turboshafts

Puma HC1

4. Griffin HT1 / HAR2 Reporting Name: Griffin Role Letters and Marks: HT1 / HAR2 Role: Helicopter Training and Search & Rescue

Griffin HT1 / HAR2 The Griffin HT1 is a training helicopter It is operated within the Defence Helicopter Flying School, a combined operation by FR Aviation, Bristow Helicopters and SERCO, to train helicopter pilots for all three services First entered service in 1997 It is civilian contractor owned and operated Manufactured by Bell Helicopter Textron, Fort Worth, Texas, the essentially similar Bell 212s are operated by Brunei

Technical Data Rotor Diameter: 14.02M Length: 12.92M Crew: 2 Maximum Speed: 258km/h (161mph) Engine: Two Pratt & Whitney PT6T-3D turboshafts

Griffin HT1 / HAR2

5. Squirrel HT1 Reporting Name: Squirrel Role Letters and Marks: HT1 Role: Helicopter Training

Squirrel HT1 Manufactured by Aerospatiale (now Eurocopter) in France The Squirrel HT1 is used by the Defence Helicopter Flying School (DHFS) at RAF Shawbury, in Shropshire, for Single Engine Basic Rotary Wing (SEBRW) training and Single Engine Advanced Rotary Wing (SEARW) training with No 660 and 705 Squadrons The initial flying-training course, teaches basic rotary-wing skills and emergency handling, culminating in a first solo and a handling check prior to SEARW training The SEARW phase of the course, is where basic skills are consolidated and developed into more applied techniques and includes nonprocedural instrument flying, basic night flying, low-level and formation flying, mountain flying and an introduction to winching for RN students In addition to DHFS, the Squirrel HT1 is used by the Central Flying School (Helicopter) Squadron at RAF Shawbury for instructor training, and by 670 AAC Squadron, based at Middle Wallop, in Hampshire, for operational training

Technical Data Rotor Diameter: 10.69M Length: 12.94M Crew: 2 Maximum Speed: 144mph Engine: 1 x Turbomeca Arriel turboshaft

Squirrel HT1

Twin Squirrel HCC1 This is a twin engined version of the Squirrel It has 2 Allison 250-C20F turboshafts It is used by 32 ( The Royal ) Sqn at RAF Northolt It is used mainly for transporting VIPs

Twin Squirrel HCC1

6. Sea King HAR3 / HAR3A Reporting Name: Sea King Role Letters and Marks: HAR3 / HAR3A Role: Helicopter Training

Sea King HAR3 / HAR3A Built by AgustaWestland and introduced into service in 1978 The Sea King can operate by day or night and in most weathers Rescue aids include a hydraulic winch with 245ft (75m) of steel cable, capable of delivering the Winchman to most casualty locations and lifting up to 3 people simultaneously It has a comprehensive navigation suite including AIRWAVE radio Search aids include a processed search radar, crew night-vision goggles and a powerful thermal-imaging/colour TV camera with on-board DV CAM recording capability An extensive array of medical equipment is carried in the rear of the aircraft

Technical Data Rotor Diameter: 18.9m Length: 22.15m Crew: 4 Maximum Speed: 125kts Engine: Two Rolls-Royce Gnome turboshafts

Sea King HAR3 / HAR3A

7. Agusta A109E Reporting Name: Agusta Role Letters & Marks: A109E Role: Helicopter

Agusta 109E Three Agusta 109E Power helicopters are operated by No 32 (The Royal) Squadron, at RAF Northolt The earliest A 109s were built by Agusta in the late 1970s, while the Power derivatives stem from the mid 1990s The aircraft flown by 32 (The Royal) Squadron were delivered from the factory in Milan in March 2006 It can be flown by a single pilot in all weather conditions, by day and night. The aircraft has a “glass cockpit” with two complete sets of pilot instruments and navigation systems, including a three-axis autopilot, an auto-coupled Instrument Landing System and a satellite-based Global Positioning System There is also a Moving Map Display, weather radar and a Traffic Alerting System The twin-engine design gives the pilot more flexibility when planning routes over built-up areas and increases safety margins when flying in and out of confined landing sites

Technical Data Rotor Diameter: 10.99M Length: 13.07M Crew: 1 Maximum Speed: 168kts Engine: 2 x Pratt and Whitney 206C Turboshafts

Agusta A109E

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