History of the Fenestron video series
 

Airbus made these videos a few years ago, I discovered and found them quite interesting yesterday. Especially the old footage of the Gazelles and old Dauphins. Wish I could have seen and heard the Puma prototype, sounds like it was very noisy. It's a little bit like marketing fluff at times but might be of interest to others.

Parts 1 to 6:

Didn’t expect them to say it was noisier. The big takeaway for me is, I’ve been pronouncing it wrong all these years (FENestron rather than fenESTron).

Yes, like 'fenêtre' (window)

I think all of us who are not French having been pronouncing it your way. Maybe the French are wrong:)

Obviously putting the emPHAsis on the wrong syLABle. 😁

Seems appropriate
 

https://media.giphy.com/media/L0rdWQ...6prM/giphy.gif
<iframe src="https://giphy.com/embed/L0rdWQJHgt5eUC6prM" wi

After years of flying the Gazelle and moaning about the noise of the fenEStron, I was gobsmacked in the early 2000's when the Cornwall Air Ambulance 135 landed near our hangar at St Mawgan - it was so quiet by comparison!

So if they have made it quieter still then well done Airbus.

Interesting too that the Puma, at 7 tons was deemed to big for early fenEStron tech yet now the H160 at (I think) 6 tons is suitable so the performance/efficiency increase has been marked as well.

Tickle: Thanks for sharing the links. Have seen YouTube video about fenestron in the past, but not these. Love all the old footage in part 1. Also interesting to see the 'highly' modified AS350Z Squirrel with fenestron in part 2, and the spanwise curved fenestron blades (on D-HEEX?) at 2:02 in part 3. Did such curved blades make their way into production fenestron units or did that remain experimental?

As for noise, good they concede in Part 1 that this was originally one of the disadvantages, along with additional weight and cost. But with all the developments they touch on in the other parts, I think it is fair to say the noise issue has been overcome. Haven't ever heard a Gazelle in flight, but the early Dauphins certainly had a high pitch 'scream', not that it was unpleasant for a helicopter enthusiast! In contrast, I am always impressed by how quiet the EC 120 is when it flies over.

It is for good reason that one of it's nicknames is the 'Whistling Drumstick'.

Up to today still experimental

Skadi