| Oryx | |
|---|---|
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| Oryx M2 | |
| Type | military helicopter |
| Manufacturer | Atlas Aircraft Corporation |
| Primary user | South African Air Force |
| Developed from | Aerospatiale Puma |
The Atlas Oryx (named after the Oryx antelope) is a medium-sized utility helicopter manufactured by the Atlas Aircraft Corporation (now Denel Aerospace Systems) of South Africa.
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Design and development
It is an upgraded and remanufactured version of the Aerospatiale Puma, equivalent to the Eurocopter Super Puma, and offers a performance improvement over the original, in addition to cutting the operating costs by 25 to 30%. The Oryx is currently in service with several squadrons of the South African Air Force, with about 44 being available. It can carry up to 20 fully equipped troops or 6 wounded on stretchers with 4 attendants or 3,000 kg freight carried in the cabin or 4,500 kg freight on an external sling.
Mid Life Upgrade
In 2006 the SAAF initiated a mid life upgrade for 35 Oryx helicopters to extend their service life to the 2015 - 2020 timeframe. Due to budgetary restrictions, the upgrade will be limited to airframe life extentions, with a limited communications and navigation upgrade. It was initially planned to do a full glass cockpit upgrade.
Variants
There is an electronic warfare (stand-off communications jamming/radar jamming) version of the Oryx that is equipped with the Grinaker Systems Technologies (GST) GSY 1501 jamming system, among others. Two Oryx helicopters have also been modified for operations in the Southern Ocean and the Antarctic, for which they have been painted in the red and white colour scheme as illustrated in the photograph accompanying this article. These two aircraft have been given the designation of Oryx M2.
Operators
Specifications
This aircraft article is missing some (or all) of its specifications. If you have a source, you can help Wikipedia by adding them.General characteristics
- Crew: Three
- Capacity: 20 fully-equipped troops
- Length: 15.45 m (50 ft 8 in)
- Rotor diameter: 15.6 m (51 ft 2 in)
- Height: 5.14 m (16 ft 10 in)
- Empty weight: 3,600 kg (7,920 lb)
- Loaded weight: 6,000 kg (13,200 lb)
- Max takeoff weight: 8,000 kg (17,600 lb)
- Powerplant: 2× Turbomeca Makila IA1 turboshaft engines, 1,400 kW (1,877 shp) each
Performance
- Maximum speed: 306 km/h (188 mph, 165 kts)
- Service ceiling 7,162 m (23,500 ft)
- Rate of climb: 915 m/min (3,000 ft/m)
- Combat range (internal fuel): 303 nm (561 km, 346 mi)
- Ferry range (external fuel): 1,080 nm (2,000 km, 1,234 mi)
Armament
- 2 × door-mounted 7.62 mm machine guns (optional)
References
Related content
Related development
Related lists
- List of attack aircraft
- List of helicopters
- List of military aircraft of Italy
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