The AS 332L Bristow Tiger suffered in its early days from insufficient developmental test flying by the manufacturer prior to introduction into service. It was certainly not merely a stretched Puma and several of the new innovations proved inadequate for the tough regime of the North Sea.
Problems with the Main Gear Box and drive shaft fairings prompted hasty first aid fixes from the manufacturer which then had to be trialled by line pilots on revenue flights, a far from satisfactory state of affairs.
A visit to Aberdeen by the Chief Project Test Pilot for Aerospatiale produced stunned disbelief at the intensity of the flying programme and the comment, `No wonder you are having problems!`
The Tiger eventually went on to serve with great distinction as witnessed by the numbers of hours amassed over the years.