Airbus Helicopters AS365 Dauphin 2
The Aerospatiale/Airbus AS365 Dauphin is a medium twin-engine helicopter recognisable for its fenestron shrouded tail rotor, an early example of the quiet, safer tail-rotor design later used across many Airbus helicopters. It has been widely adopted for coast guard, police, offshore, and VIP transport roles thanks to its speed and relatively spacious cabin. A licence-built Chinese version, the Harbin Z-9, extended the design's reach into military and paramilitary service across Asia. Decades after its 1975 first flight, updated Dauphin variants remain in active production and service worldwide.
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Did you know?
The Dauphin's fenestron shrouded tail rotor was an early example of the quiet, safer design later used across many Airbus helicopters.
Specifications
| Length | 13.7 m (45 ft) |
|---|---|
| Height | 4 m (13 ft) |
| Rotor diameter | 11.9 m (39 ft) |
| Maximum passengers | 12 |
| Persons on board | 3 |
| Maximum take-off weight | 4 t |
| Range | 440 NM (815 km) |
| Maximum speed | 165 kt (306 km/h) |
| Service ceiling | 15,750 ft (4,801 m) |
| Optimum ceiling | 8,000 ft (2,438 m) |
| Rate of climb | 1,752 ft/min (8.9 m/s) |
| Fuel capacity | 1,135 l |
| Engines | 2x Turbomeca Arriel 2C |
| Units built | 1,098 |
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.
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