Gazelle vs Alouette III vs Hughes 500 ?

[aseanaero]

These are my 3 favourite small helis

If you had to own and run one for private use which one would you choose balancing performance , cost , enjoyability of flying and looks ?

For looks and 'sound' I love the Gazelle

[heli1]

Depends how many people you are going to carry on a regular basis.

For me the Hughes 500 is the best 2+2 on the market ,fast,highly maneuvrable and you can get the spares !

Gazelle is fast but watch the quirks of the fenestron and the price of parts.

Alouette 3 is history...becoming very expensive to maintain but a big cabin.

[Doors Off]

You have a fine appreciation of helicopters my friend. The Gazelle is certainly a beautiful helicopter in every sense, an absolute delight to fly and all the maintainers seemed to like working on it. I really do miss flying it. :)

[Ioan]

Gazelle also. Was the first helicopter I flew in; I love everything about them. It's now one of the few helicopters that still sends me running outside when I hear it in the distance :)

Now if I had to own and RUN one... I can't see myself getting beyond an R22 in the forseeable future :hmm:

[timex]

Gazelle is fast but watch the quirks of the fenestron and the price of parts.

What quirks? Lovely bit of kit.


Shaun

[rudestuff]

There is only one for looks and ability - as any fan of Magnum PI and Apocalypse Now will testify. Check out "The last great aventure" and ask if there is anything else that can fly like that.

[InducedDrag]

I cant speak for the Gazelle or the Alouette....but I can speak to the 500.

I have owned a few r22's and flown 44's a bunch. I mostly fly for fun but I am a CFI as well, and I instruct in both from time to time. I am approaching 1000hrs and I have some JR time but not a whole lot......then I got some time in a 500. It was all over.

I got bitten so bad that I had to buy one! I bought a 369a standard category. All I could justify spending on a toy. It is a converted OH-6 about 5000 hrs tt. It has a T63-a700 (same as a C18). So in summer it is temp limited. Still it is all fun!

I have not looked back since! It is like having sex with a cyclic. It just feels right. Very solid feel and the ship feels like it is connected to you. Heavier stick forces then many ships (no hydraulics) but it feels right when you are yankin' and bankin'.

When you get in the ship, you will find your self doing 90deg banks without thought. A 90deg bank feels like a 45 in another ship. The control response is incredible and the ship reacts instantly.

It is a fast ship and wants to go go go. It is almost hard to get it slowed down. If you dont pay attention when you first start flying it, you will over shoot your approaches.

All in all, I dont regret the decision. The ship just makes you smile.

[Hughes500]

Gazelle is a good compromise between A3 and 500
However 500 is still made and hence you can get parts at sensible prices.
500 will just about outfly a gazelle. However both are very cramped in the back, gazelle no knee room but headroom the 500 not much headroom but better legroom.
Having run both the 500 is way cheaper and holds on to its value ( owned 7 so far ) Gazelle is much thirstier though a more bomb proof engine. 23 /25gals v 35/40 gals

A111 forget it A11 nicer looking!!!!!!!!

[meat bomb]

Though I know many who swear unwerving allegiance to the AIII, if I had to fly any one heli for the rest of my life it'd have to be the GAzelle. Only ever seen a 500 on tv!

[DennisK]

MD 500 & Boscombe Down test pilots

Just a half pennorth in please ... Hughes 500, especially the MD 'E' model. That 420 shp beast will true out to 180 mph at 5000 feet - so quick ... she definitely is.

Handling ... yes a 90 degree bank seems all too normal. But lads, will someone get hold of the AH-6 version and civilianise it ... over 600 shp on tap from the C-30 and six blades. 4,000 fpm rate of cimb. Absolutely staggering.

A while back I was acting as safety pilot to the Boscombe test pilot guys. Lieutenant Commander Chris Taylor asked how the 'autorotation' handling was. Then said, "I'm told the engine can be rolled off with a 3 second delay before lowering lever." I shrugged. "Can we try it?" Chris Taylor asked. You're the ETPS commandant I decided.

Those DERA test pilots are truly something else.

Chris ran in along R/W 23 with 100 kts and 400 feet showing, and with a cautionary ... "engine off .. GO" he closed the throttle. The count followed, as I anxiously watch NR ... "One thousand, two thousand, three thousand .. lever down GO," and with some firm aft cyclic, Chris pulled the RRPM into the green and speed back to 65 knots for the auto desent, which he followed with a zero speed touch down to the grass.

A true little story to highlight my enthsiasm for the marque.

But perhaps not to try this at home for us normal guys.

Anyone care to tell us about the 'auto' handling of the wonderful Gazelle?

Dennis K

[500e]

Some one mentioned watch the tail on the flair.:suspect:

[slim40]

I doubt I will ever get to fly a Gazelle (would love the chance if anyone has one in the Peterborough area) or Alouette III, but the Hughes 500 ticks all the boxes for me in the looks and sound department. A fantastic ship to fly too, although being left-hand-drive with left skid low in the hover feels a little odd. The Gazelle still has a menacing cool look about it, but the Alouette is one plug-ugly aircraft IMHO!
If my numbers ever come up, a 500E high skid will be top of my shopping list- military livery with an assortment of bolt-on firepower would be the icing on the cake ;-)

Si

[estepo]

Oooooer! Never thought I'd have the opportunity to correct Dennis Kenyon!!!! (Now I bet I'm wrong anyway)

The 500E I've always flown has the C20R which.......erm.........I think has 450SHP.:eek: If I'm not mistaken, it's the C20B which has 420.

Nevertheless, I chose a Gazelle over a Hughes 500 for several reasons (not just because it has a 650SHP engine!).

Although it's never going to be a pleasant experience in either machine, rear passengers in a 500 are going to have less visibility, and less room. Couple that with the fact that they'll have their luggage on their lap, and that's one of my main reasons for choosing the Gazelle. Secondly, I think the flying characteristics of the Gazelle are superior, with power to spare on the albeit very occasional hot day, with full passengers and fuel. The SAS system is also second to none, with the electric trim system on the 500 a little slow to react during take off and landing.

Also, perhaps more important, is the issue of endurance. Roughly speaking, building in a reasonable reserve, 1.50mins in the 500, against 2.30mins in the Gazelle.

Lastly, although not particularly important, both startup and shutdown are quicker and simpler in the Gazelle.

Oh........and then there's the sound of that engine........:ok:

[md 600 driver]

estepo
see you thursday at helitech i have changed dates

i think its between the gazelle or the md530ff

steve

[estepo]

MD600

Perfect. I'll probably get there about lunchtime.

See you there

[Hughes500]

estepo

Think you will find a gazelle with full fuel ( inc add tank ) and 4 people has the same performance as a 500 with 4 people full fuel ( inc add tank ). Both will have just under 3 hours endurance. Well that is with all the ones I have owned / flown. Cant speak for a 500F although G -TOPZ being a 342 has plenty of power but the fuel burn is not good.
The 500 handles better than a 341 although that is personal opinion. Both are really good pilots machines
Steve see youi at Helitech on Thursday if the fog isnt too bad in the SW

[md 600 driver]

i will be in a 342

[AB139engineer]

none of them!