Eurocopter AS 355 Ecureuil 2 / AS 555 Fennec

Eurocopter · France · first flew 1979 · helicopter

The AS 355 is the twin-engined member of Aerospatiale's Ecureuil family, a light multirole helicopter marketed as the TwinStar and, in armed form, as the AS 555 Fennec.

Recognition (WEFT)

W — Wings	High-mounted, rotary
E — Engines	2 × turboshaft, fuselage-mounted
F — Fuselage	10.91 m fuselage
T — Tail	Conventional

WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.

Spot it by:

Twin-turbine Squirrel with slim tapered tail boom
Rounded glazed cabin seating up to six
Fenestron-free open tail rotor on production ships

Look for the compact rounded cabin, twin engine fairings side by side above the boom, and the slender tapered tail carrying a small open rotor and swept fin.

Specifications

The Eurocopter AS 355 Ecureuil 2 / AS 555 Fennec has a length of 10.91 m (36 ft).
It has a wingspan of 10.69 m (35 ft).
Its maximum speed is 278 km/h (173 mph).
Typical crew: 1-2.

Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.

History

Aerospatiale flew the twin-engined variant on 28 September 1979 as a safer stablemate to the single-engine AS 350. Successive versions swapped the original Allison engines for Turbomeca Arrius units, and the type passed into Eurocopter's catalogue on the group's formation.

Variants

Civil marks ran from the AS 355F to the modernised AS 355N and NP with FADEC-controlled Arrius engines. The military AS 555 Fennec added weapon pylons, gun pods and mission avionics for scout, light attack and naval roles.

Where you'll see it

Widely used by European police, air-ambulance and utility operators, the type has served UK police air support units and corporate fleets. Armed Fennec variants equip several export air arms for training and light strike.

Related aircraft

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