More than thirty-three years after its maiden flight, the Ecureuil is still undeniably successful. With 250 machines(1) ordered since the beginning of the year, it still shows no signs of ageing. How to explain this remarkable longevity?

Since 14 May 2005, the AS350 B3 Ecureuil is world record holder for the highest takeoff altitude from the summit of Mount Everest. The helicopter has been piloted by Eurocopter test pilot Didier Delsalle.

The Ecureuil was conceived in the early 1970s as the successor to the Alouette II. It was a completely new type of helicopter, designed to be simple, practical and competitive. With twice the payload capacity, 25% lower fuel consumption and 38% lower operating costs, this helicopter had all it takes to appeal to operators. But this doesn’t entirely explain its long-lasting success: above all, the true genius of the Ecureuil’s designers was to create an aircraft with exceptional scope for development which has enabled it to adapt to specific customer requirements, giving birth to a whole Ecureuil family over the last thirty years. Today, this family of single – and twin – engine aircraft comprises the AS350 B2 (which offers the best price-performance ratio in its class), the AS350 B3 (which features the best performance of all single-engine helicopters), the EC130 (which is especially appreciated by tour operators around the world due to its spacious cabin, excellent visibility and extremely reduced noise levels thanks to the addition of a Fenestron tail rotor), and the recently introduced AS355 NP. Yet another undeniable asset is its extreme versatility. From passenger transport, search and rescue missions, emergency medical services and law enforcement operations to aerial work, winching, inspection of high-voltage cables, fire-fighting and tourist flights – the Ecureuil can do it all, and can do it well at that. Highly valued by operators around the globe for their performance and reliability, the helicopters of the Ecureuil family continue to appeal to customers looking for tried and tested technologies and helicopters they can rely on to fulfil their missions, however varied these may be. But it does not stop there: the Ecureuil has not yet spoken its last word. The latest development of the family, the AS355 NP, the first of which has just been delivered to an Italian customer (see article on page 12), offers an even greater performance. In addition, a new option available on the AS350 B3 allows its payload capacity to be increased by about a hundred kilos, and permits the use of double-hydraulic main controls. Other developments are already in the pipeline, giving us reason to predict that the Ecureuil family still has a bright future ahead of it. Watch this space…