Atlas Oryx
Atlas Aircraft Corporation (Denel) · South Africa · first flew 1986 · helicopter
The Atlas Oryx is a medium utility helicopter built by Atlas Aircraft Corporation, now Denel Aeronautics, for the South African Air Force. It is an upgraded and remanufactured Aérospatiale Puma, roughly equal to the Super Puma.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | High-mounted, rotary |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 2 × turboshaft, fuselage-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | 15.45 m fuselage |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Puma-derived airframe with a tailboom about 50 cm longer than that of the Puma
- Dust filters on the engine intakes, early examples with a movable auxiliary air intake ahead of the engine
- Rescue hoist and, on coastal aircraft, flotation gear on the sponsons and nose
It looks like a Puma but with a slightly longer tailboom and the dust filters on the engine intakes.
Specifications
- The Atlas Oryx has a length of 15.45 m (51 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 15.6 m (51 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 306 km/h (190 mph).
- Typical crew: 3.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
Development began in the early 1980s, partly because the arms embargo stopped South Africa importing helicopters such as the Puma. A single Puma, number 177, was converted as the prototype, and the Oryx first flew in 1986.
Variants
The Oryx is in effect the South African version of the Puma upgrade. An upgrade package to convert existing Pumas to an Oryx-equivalent configuration was also marketed to export customers.
Where you'll see it
The SAAF acknowledged the type in mid-1991 as the replacement for its Pumas and Super Frelons. About 50 were built between 1986 and 1991.
Related aircraft
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