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| Gazelle at the RAF Museum London |
| Information | |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer: | Westland Helicopters (with Aérospatiale) |
| First flight: | 1967 |
| Propulsion: | Turbomeca Astazou IIIA turboshaft |
| Number built: | 1,775 |
The Gazelle was designed for scouting, reconnaissance and light attack duties. Originally the Gazelle was purely a French project but the British got involved early on and placed a large order of the type for the Army. Westland built two hundred and sixty two Gazelles mostly for the British armed forces, serving with all branches. It has served in the Falklands, Afghanistan and Gulf Wars. Around thirty remain in service with the British Army and are due to remain so until the early 2020s.
The Gazelle was the first helicopter to have a fenestron or fan tail with the tail rotor built into the vertical fin. This helped the Gazelle become the fastest helicopter in it's class.
The Gazelle was the first helicopter to have a fenestron or fan tail with the tail rotor built into the vertical fin. This helped the Gazelle become the fastest helicopter in it's class.
