Gazelle: Flying, operating, buying

[Earl of Rochester]

- CopSrour (What on earth does that mean?)

In my attempts to discover an answer to your question I have been somewhat surprised by the diversity of claims made about the type of rotor system used on the Gazelle. Indeed, I have seen it referred to as just about every type of rotor system available!

In my ignorance (and in the absence of any first hand exposure to the craft) I imagined that the 341/2 utilised a fully articulated head. Then I read about cooperation between Aerospatiale and MBB resulting in a cross between an articulated and rigid head and then ... I read about the Gazelle being a semi-rigid rotor and became thoroughly confused!

I have also been surprised at just how little techncial information is out there on this subject.

So far, the best I can come up with is a brief description in a report published by the University of Belgrade on rotor flow calculations and which uses the Gazelle system to establish data.

The report is here: http://www.mas.bg.ac.rs/istrazivanje...3/1/Bengin.pdf and on page 33 you will read a short description of their assessment of the Gazelle rotor.

Hopefully, before long, a Gazelle expert will answer this and LebanesePilot's question above.

Earl