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Revised: June 20, 2010
Copyright © 1997-2010 by Jean Charles Barroux - jbarroux@LAMilitary.org
Three Eurocopter SA-330L Puma, equipped with a floating system, PA-11 (C/N 1587), PA-12 (C/N 1591) and PA-13 (C/N 1598), were bought brand new in 1980 to be used for SAR and other special operations. The special operations included participation in helicopter assault and vertical evolvement exercises, like the one realized for a couple of weeks during October 1981 with the Batallón de Infantería de Marina Nº5.
PA-12 was sent to the Falklands/Malvinas conflict, captured intact at the end of the war and is now ZE449. It was used as a Ground Instructor at Odiham, Maintenance Number "9017M", for a long time but eventually it was converted to Puma HC.1 being delivered to the 33 Squadron, RAF Benson, in 7 Mar 2001 and did participate on operation Iraq Freedom in 2003.
The remaining helicopters, PA-11 and PA-13, were sent back to France at some unknown point of time sometime mid-90s, where they received a complete refit, including a new engine and upgrade to the Super Puma standards, using the Turboméca Makila 1A (1,780 shp) engine.
PA-11 got damaged by a storm in Mar del Plata air show Aerplata 97 when it was hit by a P-3B Orion while both aircraft were parked on January 11, 1997, leaving only PA-13 in operations. PA-11 remains could be seen at Puerto Nuevo for some time where it was cannibalized for spares, until it was repaired and returned to service. But, when PA-11 was participating of the Antarctic Summer Campaign of 2000 (from January 3rd to May 15th) on board of the icebreaker ARA Almirante Irizar, it suffered a fatal accident. On March 20, 2000 while PA-11 was rescuing an injured crew from the fishing boat Fueguino I some 218 nautical miles to the southwest of Comodoro Rivadavia with severe weather. In those circumstances one of the main rotor blades broke forcing an emergency landing in the water. The crew escaped with the exception of the pilot, Prefecto Mayor Eduardo Emilio Velazquez Tarlisetti, and copilot, Subprefecto Dax Maximiliano Cosentino, who waited to be the last rescued and died of hypotermia. The helicopter was latter recovered but badly damaged due to the long exposure to sea water and to the difficulties in the recovery process. A sequence of photographs of the recovery process of PA-11 can be seen at the bottom of this page.
The remaining unit, PA-13, is operated by the Escuadrilla de Alas Rotativas (EAR) and usually operated from the Aeropuerto Internacional "Bartolomé de la Colina" of Mar del Plata, Provicia de Buenos Aires. The value of this type for the force is very high, warranting that PA-11 was again sent to France and repaired once more, returning to Argentina with a new and smaller radome. The radar model(s) used by these helicopters is unknown and information is sought in this matter.
As an example of the continued operation of this useful type, on May 10, 2009, PA-13, rescued the crew of two ships (Doña Nella and Sokar).
Designation: Eurocopter SA-330L Puma Manufacturer: Eurocopter, E.U. (France) Crew: 2 Passengers: 20 troops Construction: --- Engine: 2 x Turboméca Turmo IVC originally, Turboméca Makila 1A now Engine Type: Turboshaft Engine Thrust: 1,175 kW (1,575 shp) originally 1,327 kW (1,780 shp) now Rotors: 4 bladed main rotor and 5 bladed tail rotor Main Rotor Diameter: 15.00 m Main Rotor Disk Area: 176.63 m2 Fuselage Length: 14.06 m Overall Length: 18.15 m Height: 5.14 m Empty Weight: 3,615 kg Max. Weight MTOW: 7,405 kg Max. Weight with Sling: 7,500 kg Max. Speed: 294 km/h Max. Speed at Sea Level: 257 km/h Max. Cruising Speed: 271 km/h Normal Cruising Speed: 259 km/h Initial Rate of Climb: 1,770 ft./min Ceiling: 19,685 ft. Howering Ceiling: 13,940 ft. Fuel Capacity: 1,544 lts standard internal; 3,444 lts maximum fuel capacity Range on Internal Fuel: 575 km Range with Max. Fuel: --- km Range with Max. Payload: --- km Combat Radius: --- km () Endurance: --- Hrs Useful Load: --- kg Radar: --- EW: --- Avionics: --- Weapons: --- Format: 1.0 Notes: Maximum sling load of 3,500 kg. Equipped with Alkan S-5B fire-fighting system. S/N C/N Unit Built Bought Disposition Notes PA-11 1587 EscAlasRotati --/---/---- 20/Oct/1980 -- Ex-F-WXFJ, damaged 11/Jan/1997, rebuilt, damaged 20/Mar/2000, rebuilt, l/n 8/Feb/2010 PA-12 1591 EscAlasRotati --/---/---- 28/Oct/1980 w/o 14/Jun/1982 Captured Falklands, now RAF's ZE449, "9017M" PA-13 1598 EscAlasRotati --/---/---- --/---/1980 -- l/n 14/Jan/2010
Copyright © 1997-2010 by Jean Charles Barroux - jbarroux@LAMilitary.org
