Aerospatiale SA-360 Dauphin
The Aérospatiale SA 360 Dauphin was the single-engine predecessor of the much more successful twin-engine Dauphin family. Its sleek fuselage and enclosed Fenestron tail rotor introduced the visual language that later became familiar on thousands of Eurocopter and Airbus helicopters. Commercial customers preferred the redundancy of the SA 365 twin, so only a small number of SA 360s were built. That makes the single-engine Dauphin a genuine rarity despite the fame of its descendants.
Did you know?
The single-engine SA 360 Dauphin introduced the enclosed Fenestron tail rotor that later became a Eurocopter and Airbus helicopter trademark.
Specifications
| Length | 11.6 m (38 ft) |
|---|---|
| Height | 3.6 m (12 ft) |
| Rotor diameter | 11.9 m (39 ft) |
| Maximum passengers | 8 |
| Persons on board | 10 |
| Crew | 1 |
| Maximum take-off weight | 3 t |
| Range | 430 NM (796 km) |
| Maximum speed | 151 kt (280 km/h) |
| Service ceiling | 15,000 ft (4,572 m) |
| Optimum ceiling | 6,000 ft (1,829 m) |
| Rate of climb | 1,770 ft/min (9 m/s) |
| Fuel capacity | 1,130 l |
| Engines | 1x Turbomeca Astazou XVIIIA |
| Units built | 34 |
Curated by CatchFlights from manufacturer documents, ICAO Doc 8643 and reference works; values are left out where no source could confirm them. Sources are listed on our credits page.
In CatchFlights
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